The UK police reported two people in a critical condition near the English city Amesbury, exactly four months after the case of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal unraveled in the neighboring Salisbury.
The pair are now in hospital receiving treatment for "suspected exposure to an unknown substance," Wiltshire Police said in a statement. Amesbury lies seven miles (11 kms) to the north of Salisbury and about the same distance to the Porton Down science and technology laboratory operated by the Ministry of Defense.
The Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, established in 1916, is known as one of the most secretive military research facilities in the country.
The two people are treated at Salisbury District Hospital, the same hospital where Sergei Skripal and his daughter spent weeks in recovery.
READ MORE: 2 Hospitalized After Exposure to 'Unknown Substance' in UK's Amesbury — Police
Samples from the unknown substance the pair have been allegedly exposed to have now been reportedly sent to the Porton Down laboratory for investigation.
"As you would expect, given the recent events in Salisbury, officers from the counter terrorism network are working jointly with colleagues from Wiltshire Police regarding the incident in Amesbury. As Wiltshire Police have stated, they are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances surrounding the incident and will update the public as soon and as regularly as possible," the Metropolitan police said on July 4.