The U.S. has evacuated at least a dozen Americans from China amid growing concerns about possible attacks on U.S. diplomats.
Evacuations began in early May in Guangzhou after an official at the U.S. consulate was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury. Since then, at least nine individuals have been evacuated from Shanghai and Guangzhou, and another three have been taken out of Beijing, according to The Wall Street Journal and the Asia Times. (RELATED: US Government Employee Suffers Brain Damage After Possible Sonic Attack In China)
As the first incident follow complaints of “subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure,” the Department of State is concerned that it is facing a situation similar to that which happened in Havana, Cuba, in 2017. At least 26 Americans affiliated with the U.S. Embassy in Cuba have all experienced hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, headaches and fatigue, symptoms associated with a mild traumatic brain injury, after hearing unusual sounds. The prevailing theory is that the affected Americans were the victims of a targeted sonic attack, but numerous questions remain unanswered.
As was the case in the past, the individuals evacuated from China are being sent to the University of Pennsylvania for further medical evaluations, leaked information from an embassy meeting revealed. There are also medical checks going on in country. Since this became an issue, more than 280 people tied to U.S. missions in China have received evaluations, TheWSJ reported.
“To date, there is only one medically confirmed diagnosis of MTBI-like symptoms among Mission China personnel,” a Department of State official told The Daily Caller News Foundation, referring to mild traumatic brain injuries. There have, however, been other complaints of inexplicably intense migraines, insomnia, and other neurological problems accompanied by reports of strange sounds. (RELATED: State Department Evacuates More Americans After Strange Sounds Trigger Mysterious Illnesses In China)
“The health, safety, and well-being of U.S. citizens and U.S. government employees and their family members are our greatest concern,” the official said on background Tuesday, adding, “Based upon the medical screenings that have already taken place, several staff and family members in the Mission were offered additional medical assessments in the United States. It is important to remember that medical assessments may also be authorized for other unrelated issues that require further evaluation not available at post.”
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