Germany: Anthrax Threat Causes Delays In Mail Deliveries

The introduction of mail check-ups in view of the anthrax threat in Germany has considerably delayed mail delivery across the country. Delays in mail processing and sorting have affected first of all major post offices in Berlin, Offenbach, Mannheim and Goettingen, a spokesman at Deutsche Post AG headquarters in Bonn told RIA Novosti. After the appearance of letters and packages containing "white powdery substance", all sorting transporters were stopped. As a result, millions of unprocessed items of mail have accumulated at post offices, he said. So far, all the cases of receiving "contaminated" letters have turned out "false alarm", though.