By Kevin Hendricks — The Paper.
Three people are dead and 19 others are hospitalized — including 18 first responders — after an unidentified substance was discovered at a Mountainair residence Wednesday, triggering a major hazmat response from state and county agencies.
New Mexico State Police responded around 11 a.m. to an address on Hanlon Ave. after Torrance County Sheriff’s Office deputies called for assistance with what initially appeared to be a suspected overdose. Four people inside were found unresponsive; three are now dead. The surviving occupant was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where they are quarantined and being evaluated alongside the 18 exposed first responders. Two first responders are listed in serious condition, NMSP said.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue HazMat teams are working to identify the substance. Investigators believe it may be transmitted through contact and is not airborne. NMSP said a perimeter has been secured and the exposure is limited to the residence.
Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto, responding to community concern circulating on social media, said investigators are pointing toward narcotics as a possible factor — though no final conclusions have been confirmed.
“We absolutely are” taking the drug situation seriously, Nieto wrote. “Our first responders, law enforcement, medical personnel, and local officials work every day to protect this community.”
In a follow-up statement Wednesday afternoon, Nieto said three of four Mountainair EMS personnel who were hospitalized have since been released. EMS Chief Josh Lewis — the first responder to enter the residence — remains hospitalized overnight for observation. Torrance County EMTs and UNM nurses who came into contact with affected individuals also reported symptoms, Nieto said. Town Clerk Mary Martinez, a former medical professional, assisted with CPR efforts at the scene.