Three people have died, and more than a dozen first responders had to be isolated and examined due to possible contact with an unknown substance after responding to a suspected drug overdose at a home in rural New Mexico, authorities said. This was reported by the Associated Press, according to UNN.
Details
Initially, four unconscious people were found at a home in Mountainair, east of Albuquerque, New Mexico State Police said. Three of them died, and the fourth was hospitalized at a hospital in Albuquerque. Their names have not been released.
First responders who arrived at the scene were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms, including nausea and dizziness, authorities said.
Investigators are working to identify the substance. Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto stated that he saw drugs at the scene and believes they are a possible factor in the deaths. He added that the people's health issues were not related to carbon monoxide poisoning or a natural gas leak.
New Mexico State Police said there is no threat to the public.
At this point, investigators believe the substance may be transmissible through contact and is not airborne,
University of New Mexico Hospital reported that nearly two dozen people underwent examination and decontamination after contact with the substance. Most were asymptomatic first responders who were later discharged. Three symptomatic patients remained under observation as of Wednesday evening.
Residents on social media expressed outrage over the drug use problem in the community and elsewhere. In 2024, New Mexico had the fourth-highest drug overdose death rate among all U.S. states—775 deaths, according to the latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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