New Mexico First Responders Quarantined

New Mexico State Police on Wednesday responded to a home in Mountainair where three people died and one was hospitalized. Authorities found four people unresponsive inside the residence east of Albuquerque.

First responders began experiencing nausea and dizziness after exposure to an unidentified substance at the scene. Volunteer firefighter Antonette Alguire witnessed colleagues becoming sick while providing aid.

Nearly two dozen people received assessment and decontamination at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Most were discharged without symptoms, though three remained under observation Wednesday evening. Investigators are working to identify the substance, and the mayor of Mountainair noted the presence of drugs.

Police stated the substance appears transmitted through contact, not airborne, and poses no public threat. The substance remains unidentified, and the cause of the initial unresponsive individuals is still under investigation.