A Vietnamese government scientist said today a sample of white power found in the office of a BP joint venture in Ho Chi Minh City had tested positive for anthrax.
BP said it had been told tests conducted at Ho Chi Minh City's Pasteur Institute on the powder found in a meeting room at the offices of BP Petco on October 31st indicated it could be harmful but were still not conclusive.
Asked to confirm if the sample had tested positive for anthrax, the government scientist, who did not want to be identified, said: "Yes".
"We have to wait for the Health Ministry's instruction on how to handle this case".
The scientist said other suspicious samples that had been sent for testing from other places in Vietnam in recent weeks had proved negative.
A Vietnamese government spokeswoman said she was still waiting to hear the results of the tests and that she understood the tests were still going on.