A suspicious white powder discovered inside the building housing the ‘Grand Frais’ supermarket and ‘Marie Blachère’ bakery in Wickrange triggered a major police and emergency response on Tuesday evening. Authorities confirmed the substance was ultimately harmless, and no injuries were reported.
The incident began around 6.30pm when police and firefighters were called to the scene. A person who reportedly came into contact with the powder collapsed and developed a skin reaction, prompting a full-scale operation classified under NRBC protocol – denoting nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical risks.
A safety perimeter was established, and a section of the N13 road was temporarily closed. Customers near the building were asked to leave, while others remained inside during the extraction and analysis of the substance by firefighters. They were released once the area was deemed safe.
“Fortunately, it was not a dangerous substance, either for us or for the people present”, said Diogo Costa, head of specialised training at the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS), explaining the extensive deployment was necessary to rule out all potential risks.
The emergency response concluded by 9pm, with around 30 firefighters involved in the operation.
