UK Woman Dies After Being Exposed to Nerve Agent Novichok, Police Launches Murder Inquiry
Responding to the death, Prime Minister Theresa May said she was ‘appalled and shocked’ by the death of Dawn and offered her condolences to the family.
UK Metropolitan police have launched a murder investigation after a woman died in hospital on Sunday after being exposed to the nerve agent novichok in Amesbury, Wiltshire. Dawn Sturges, 44, from Durrington died after handling an item contaminated with the nerve agent on June 30. Her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, who was also taken ill after being exposed to the nerve agent remains in critical condition in hospital. UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid last week called on Russia to provide an explanation for the incident, four months after the same type of chemical was used against a former Russian spy in an attack blamed on Moscow.
Britain and its allies accused Russia of killing double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, while Russia denies any involvement in the Skripals’ case calling the allegations a ‘fake story’. Novichok is a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The investigation into the poisonings is being held by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Policing Network and are working alongside officers from Wiltshire police.
Responding to the death, Prime Minister Theresa May said she was ‘appalled and shocked’ by the death of Dawn and offered her condolences to the family. “Police and security officials are working urgently to establish the facts of this incident, which is now being investigated as a murder. The government is committed to providing full support to the local community as it deals with this tragedy,” added Theresa May.
Following the latest poisonings, Public Health England said the risk to the public remains low, but advised against picking up strange items like needles, syringes and unusual containers. The Russian embassy in London has not responded for a comment but had previously accused the British government of trying to ‘muddy the waters’ and ‘frighten its own citizens’ since the poisoning of Rowley and Sturgess. The Porton Down laboratory near Salisbury confirmed on Wednesday that the victims had been exposed to novichok.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2018 01:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).