Package Explosions In State Buildings

Anne Arundel County and the Maryland State Police are investigating after packages exploded today in the mailroom of two state office buildings.

One explosion occurred at around 1 p.m. in the mail room of the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters in the 7200 block of Corporate Center in Hanover.

At around 1:30 p.m. another package explosion was reported in the Jeffreys State Office Building on Francis Street in Annapolis.

That building is just off State Circle, not far from the Maryland State House. The building houses the Maryland Department of State and several other offices.

Maryland State Police spokesman, Greg Shipley, told WBAL News this is where a lot of official mail comes through.

"An individual in the mailroom had opened that package, a package the size of a book sent through the mail," he said. "There was some smoke, smell, we don't have a better description of that at this point, but obviously something very unordinary and that caused concern."

He adds that office was quickly quarantined and secured.

Rick Abbruzzese, spokesman for Governor Martin O'Malley told The (Annapolis) Capital that no one was injured.

Shipley says there were no serious physical injuries, individuals had their fingers singed and one person was transported [for medical treatment] as a precaution. He adds there was also no great property damage in the incidents.

All state officials have been alerted about the situation and the governor's office has issued an alert to all state offices and they have quarantined mailrooms, Shipley says.

HAZMAT crews are at the scene of both locations.

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