Envelope ignites at US post office

WASHINGTON: At least one envelope ignited at a post office in the US capital Friday, a day after suspect packages burst into flames in state government buildings in neighboring Maryland, police said.

"It's a post office. They are characterizing it as an ignition, not an explosion at this point," Washington police officer Hugh Carew told media.

He said there was either one or two envelopes, "we are not sure yet."

"The post office has been evacuated and our explosives ordnance disposal team is on the scene," Carew added, saying there had been no injuries.

Only a day earlier, a US state employee was lightly injured when two book-sized parcels were delivered to government buildings in the Maryland state capital Annapolis and a transportation building in Hanover.

The packages burst into flames, spewing out sulfurous smoke, and the fingers of an employee at the Annapolis building were slightly singed.

Maryland state agencies have stopped all mail delivery until an investigation is complete.

The state is one of the neighboring states to Washington, DC, and home to many people who commute to the capital city, the home of the federal government, every day.