Anthrax Scare and Decontamination

Another South African Airways (SAA) plane was grounded Friday morning after suspicious white powder was found in a passenger’s bag, the South African Press Association reported.

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A disembarked passenger told police in Johannesburg that there was white powder in his bag when he removed it from the overhead storage bin, according to the report.

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The plane had returned to the Durban airport when police ordered it grounded for investigation, the report said, adding that medical personnel and security officials were searching the plane.

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‘We do not know what the white powdery substance is. Only after the forensic tests have been completed will we make and informed opinion,’ said SAA spokesman Victor Nosi.

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On Thursday night, an SAA plane scheduled to fly to Johannesburg was grounded in Cape Town after flight attendants and cleaners discovered some white powder in a latex glove on one of the seats.

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The captain immediately ordered the cleaners and flight attendants to leave the aircraft. The police were called and a team of experts from Waste Care headed up by Dave Marock who is a expert in chemical decontamination, were called in to disinfect the aircraft. The glove and powder have been taken to Pretoria for forensic tests.