Twenty Fatalities in Poisoning Incident Aboard Rens Station, Weaponized Psychoactive Suspected
Rens – Minmatar authorities have reported "at least twenty" fatalities in the Kaihu civilian habitat sector of the Brutor Tribe Treasury station orbiting Moon 8, Rens VI. Sector security have declared a quarantine of the Kaihu habitation amid claims that a "psychoactive gas" was responsible for mass panic attacks, hallucinogenic episodes and the reported deaths.
Correspondents aboard the Brutor Tribe Treasury station report that the civilian internal transportation network is on lockdown. It is understood that government, military and capsuleer sectors of the station are secure with no spread of contamination beyond the confines of the Kaihu habitation sector.
A large proportion of the Kaihu population were able to take refuge in Life Support Alert Shelters as the contamination detection systems quickly reacted to the presence of the gas and activated alarm procedures. Witnesses in one shelter were able to broadcast accounts of several small explosions, accompanied by dense clouds of a yellow gas spreading through the habitat.
Station Search and Rescue are reported to be on the scene, with a Republic Command garrison of marines responding in support. The Republic Security Services have declined to comment on the reports that a psychoactive agent in gas form was responsible.
A late-breaking report from a source in the Republic Justice Department claims that members of the Ammatar Consulate's staff aboard station have been detained. The Scope's source has told us that "Ammatar diplomatic staff are assisting the RSS with their investigative response". The RSS has not responded to requests to confirm or deny this latest report from the scene.