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Hundreds of residents are being allowed to return to an apartment building near the University of Minnesota hours after it was evacuated because of a suspected hazardous materials incident.

Authorities say the evacuation Tuesday in the Dinkytown area involves an "unconfirmed report of ricin," a deadly toxin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, but it "would take a deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people."


A hazmat team neutralized the area and the one apartment in question is being quarantined and guarded by the Minneapolis Police Department overnight, Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder said in a statement Tuesday evening. The team secured the substance and transported it to the Minnesota Health Laboratory.


Fire crews arrived shortly after 4 p.m. and evacuated The Marshall, a building that caters to students, and sealed off the area.

An investigation and cleanup continue Tuesday night, Elder said. 

Disasters

Associated Press

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MPR News Staff

Hundreds of residents are returning to a residential building near the University of Minnesota hours after it was evacuated because of a suspected hazardous materials incident.

Fire crews evacuate a residential building in the Dinkytown area.

Residents return after hazmat evacuation near University of Minnesota

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