Suspicious packages have sparked a major emergency response and evacuation of some foreign consulates across Melbourne, with embassies in Canberra also hit.
Diplomatic offices in Melbourne for countries including Germany, Italy, India, Spain and Korea were among those attended by police, fire crews and ambulance officers on Wednesday afternoon. It is unclear what embassies in Canberra were affected.
Emergency service personal exiting the building where the Korean consulate is located in Melbourne.
AAP
"Police and emergency services have responded to suspicious packages to embassies and consulates in ACT & VIC today," the Australian Federal Police said in a statement.
"The packages are being examined by attending emergency services. The circumstances are being investigated."
An AFP spokesperson said that as the matter is subject to further inquiries, they would not be providing further information.
Carlo Oreglia-SBS Italian
Carlo Oreglia-SBS Italian
There are no reports of anyone being injured.
Two fire trucks, a hazardous materials vehicle and police cars were called to the Consulate-General of India on St Kilda Road, where staff sat outside the building, telling reporters they had been told not to comment to reporters.
The building was deemed "safe" and employees were able to reenter the building by 3.00pm.
Similar action is believed to be underway at numerous other diplomatic offices, including those representing the United States. The various consulates were evacuated, police confirmed.
AAP
The Victorian Emergency website lists more than 10 "hazardous material" events occurring across Melbourne, which began unfolding from about 1.00pm.
Addresses for the events include Market Street, Bourke Street, Middleton Lane, William Street, and St Kilda Road in Melbourne, Elgin Street at Carlton, and Yertchuk Avenue at Ashwood. Each location matches the address of a consulate.
There are no reports of injuries.
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade is assisting Australian Federal Police, who is the lead agency in the investigation, an MFB spokeswoman said.
Manuela Erb, the honorary consul of the Consulate of Switzerland in Melbourne, told the ABC that they had received a suspicious package at their Ashwood address.
"It's believed to be non-hazardous, however, they're treating it as a hazardous," she said.
Emergency workers wearing chemical suits were seen entering some of the buildings.
The incident comes just days after emergency services were called to the Argentinian consulate in Sydney's CBD after reports that a suspicious substance was found in a parcel.
The powder, contained in clear plastic bags within an envelope, was subsequently deemed not dangerous.
Source SBS News
