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No one at Malaysia airport got sick from exposure to VX nerve agent, officials say
VX was used to kill Kim Jong Nam at the airport February 13
No one at a Malaysian airport has gotten sick from exposure to VX nerve agent, which police say was used in the killing of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, airport officials said Saturday.
“No anomalies on the medical cases” have been reported at the clinic and the staff member who attended to Kim before he died “is in good health,” according to a statement by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, which manages the airport.
On February 13, two women at the airport wiped Kim’s face with some sort of liquid, according to police. He started to feel dizzy minutes later and died on the way to the hospital from what authorities said was an VX nerve agent.
VX is the most potent form of nerve agents known in chemical warfare.
Cleaning crews at Kuala Lumpur’s airport also showed no symptoms, officials said.
“Malaysia Airports has in place a standard daily cleaning process that involves scrubbing the floor using the Ride-On-Scrubber machine with multipurpose cleaning chemical and water,” according to the statement.
“We have also been informed that the cleaning staff are in good health,” it said.
The ministry of health told the public not to worry, because “those exposed would have shown signs and symptoms immediately or within 18 hours after the exposure,” according to the statement.
Four people have been arrested in the killing and four men, who police say are North Korean, have left the country, police said.
North Korea vehemently denies any involvement in Kim’s death.
