Three hospitalized and 133 evacuated after suspicious parcel arrives at military post in Nowa Dęba

Package delivery and physical reactions

On Wednesday, 30 September 2026, a postal delivery sent from Germany arrived at the local facility of the Military Gendarmerie (Żandarmeria Wojskowa) in Nowa Dęba, located within the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. When personnel opened the postal envelope, they discovered a postcard inside rather than an ordinary letter or document. Although no visible powder, liquid, or unknown chemical residue spilled out from the envelope, exposure to the parcel caused an immediate physical reaction among occupants in the room. Two military gendarmes and one civilian who was present in the same office suddenly felt ill. The three affected individuals reported symptoms of skin irritation that specifically developed across their faces and hands, prompting an urgent emergency call.

Hazmat deployment and building evacuations

Following the report of chemical contamination symptoms, specialized chemical rescue units (ratownictwo chemiczne) were dispatched directly to the military premises in Nowa Dęba. Emergency teams conducted containment operations inside the affected office to neutralize any possible hazard from the German envelope and its contents. As a precautionary safety measure, authorities ordered the evacuation of 133 people from an adjacent stairwell entrance in the facility complex. First responders also isolated four additional military gendarmes who were stationed near the room during the incident. These four gendarmes did not show signs of skin irritation or report illness, but emergency protocols required their preventive isolation pending further decontamination assessments.

Emergency room lockdown at Nowa Dęba hospital

The three individuals suffering from skin irritation were evacuated from the military post and transported to the district hospital in Nowa Dęba (Szpital Powiatowy w Nowej Dębie). The patients arrived separately in three successive ambulances that reached the medical facility one after another. Immediately after the ambulances pulled up, police officers and military personnel established a tight security perimeter around the hospital grounds. The hospital admission ward (Izba Przyjęć) was fully sealed, blocking entry and exit for staff, patients, and visitors under strict quarantine procedures. According to an eyewitness at the hospital, the sudden influx of armed forces and locked doors caused significant confusion, leading several members of the public to initially assume an unannounced military training exercise was taking place.

Intelligence notifications and prosecutorial oversight

Poland's state security apparatus launched immediate inquiries into the source and nature of the delivery sent across the German border. Both the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) received notifications to evaluate potential security threats. The Military Gendarmerie referred all substantive requests for information regarding the case directly to civilian and military prosecutors. Lieutenant Colonel Dariusz Rokosz, press spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Gendarmerie, confirmed the jurisdictional transfer of the case.

Regarding the events in Nowa Dęba, please contact the prosecutor's office. The case is being handled by the Military Affairs Department of the District Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów.

Forensic specialists and prosecutors from the Military Affairs Department of the District Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów (Dział do Spraw Wojskowych Prokuratury Rejonowej w Rzeszowie) are leading the continuing investigation into the chemical contents and origin of the parcel.