Powder in letters sent to Swedish counties declared harmless

Investigators in Sweden determined that a powdered substance found in letters received Wednesday by several county boards was not dangerous.

Swedish media reported that employees were evacuated in some places and at least two people were taken to hospitals after the suspicious letters arrived. Several police districts issued statements later in the day saying that "after closer inspection, the powder has been found to be harmless." Earlier Wednesday, police in Jonkoping, a city 280 kilometres (174 miles) south of Stockholm, said no one was injured there after the arrival of "a suspected dangerous object" — a letter with powder.

"Because it cannot be ruled out that the powder is dangerous, we have been called in to check it more closely with the emergency services," Katarina Rusin, a police spokesperson in southern Sweden told Swedish news agency TT.

At least 18 of Sweden's 21 counties received the letters, TT reported.

In Sweden, country administrative boards are headed by a governor and coordinate regional development in line with goals set at the national level.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)