Facebook HQ may have been exposed to deadly poison gas sarin that is used as a chemical weapon: Reports

A mail facility near Facebook headquarters in Meno Park, California was evacuated after a routine inspection found a package reportedly containing a deadly poison gas used as a chemical weapon - Sarin.

According to reports, authorities put the site under quarantine after conducting additional testing. 

Here's what happened:

Facebook's director of media relations Anthony Harrison said that four buildings were evacuated and three have been cleared for people to come back in and the suspicious package was delivered around 11 a.m. to one of the company’s mail rooms.

“Authorities have not yet identified the substance found,” Harrison wrote.

Menlo Park Fire Marshal Jon Johnston said that there were no reports of injuries. He further added that incoming mail undergoing routine processing by machine tested positive for sarin, but it could have been a false positive.

“Right now we don’t have anybody that has any symptoms,” he said. “We’re just doing verification.”

READ | After a series of privacy blunders, Facebook now wants to clarify how it makes money from your personal information

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assisting in the investigation, as is common in incidents such as this one.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, is a chemical warfare agent that is a clear, colorless, odorless and tasteless liquid. It can evaporate into the environment, prompting symptoms within seconds.

How dangerous is sarin gas?

A drop of sarin on the skin can cause sweating and muscle twitching, and exposure to large doses can result in paralysis and respiratory failure leading to death.

The CDC says people who are mildly exposed usually recover completely.

Last week, Facebook is said that it is updating its terms and services guidelines to clarify how it makes money from the personal information of its users.

The changes reflect Facebook's ongoing attempts to satisfy regulators in the U.S. and Europe, which have urged the company to make sure users know what they are signing up for.

All the new guideline changes, announced Thursday, are largely cosmetic. However, the updates don’t change Facebook’s underlying policies.

(With inputs from Associated Press)