Officials in New Mexico are working to determine what unknown substance may have caused three deaths and made numerous emergency responders sick during a call to a residence.
Emergency crews responded Wednesday to what appeared to be a drug overdose at a house in Mountainair, located east of Albuquerque in a rural area. Four individuals were found unconscious inside the residence. Three people died, while the surviving person received medical care at an Albuquerque hospital, according to police.
Multiple first responders developed symptoms including coughing, vomiting and dizziness while at the scene, officials reported.
The mayor stated Thursday that authorities are waiting for test results to come back.
The exact number of emergency personnel who became ill remains unclear.
According to the University of New Mexico Hospital, close to two dozen individuals — primarily emergency responders — underwent decontamination procedures and medical evaluation. Three patients required monitoring Wednesday night, hospital representatives said.
Antonette Alguire, who volunteers as a firefighter in Mountainair, witnessed emergency medical technicians and firefighters experiencing coughing and vomiting episodes.
Most individuals who received medical evaluation showed no symptoms and were released, hospital officials confirmed.
Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto reported observing drugs inside the residence, which is situated on a dirt road, and suggested this could be connected to the fatalities. He declined to specify what type of drugs he believed were present.
The mayor ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning or natural gas exposure as potential explanations for the health problems affecting first responders.
Wilson Silver, a spokesperson for New Mexico State Police, assured that no public danger exists and investigators don’t think the substance was transmitted through the air.
According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, New Mexico ranked fourth nationally for drug overdose fatalities in 2024, recording 775 deaths.
Community members in Mountainair, which has fewer than 1,000 residents, have expressed concerns about drug problems affecting their area and beyond.
The mayor wrote on social media that the community’s law enforcement and emergency personnel work every day to safeguard residents and handle challenging circumstances.
