Malaysia: Poison killed Kim within 20 minutes
Malaysia's health minister says the dose of poison given to North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un's half brother was so high that it killed him "within 15-20 minutes."
Kim Jong Nam died Feb. 13 at Kuala Lumpur's airport. Friday's revelation by Malaysian police that the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent was used to kill Kim raised the stakes significantly in the case.
Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said Sunday that the dose of VX given to Kim was so high that it "would have affected his heart, it would have affected his lungs, it would have affected everything."
Subramaniam said it required only 10 milligram of VX for it to be lethal "so I presume that the amount of dose that went in is more than that."
Malaysian police have completed a sweep of the airport terminal where the exiled half-brother of North Korea's leader was attacked and say they found no trace of the nerve agent that was suspected to have been used to kill him.
Senior police official Abdul Samah Mat, who is leading the investigation, declared the budget terminal at Kuala Lumpur's airport a "safe zone" after the sweep detected no hazardous material. More than a dozen officers in protective gear conducted the two-hour sweep early Sunday.
The investigation has unleashed a serious diplomatic fight between Malaysia and North Korea, a prime suspect in the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam. Friday's revelation by Malaysian police that the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent was used to kill Kim raised the stakes significantly in a case that has broad geopolitical implications.
The sweep involved officers from the police's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear teams, as well as the fire department's hazardous materials unit and the government's atomic energy board.
Abdul Samah says the budget terminal is "free from any form of contamination of hazardous material."
Malaysia's Health Minister S. Subramaniam says autopsy results suggest a nerve agent caused serious paralysis that led to the death of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un's half brother.
Police revealed Friday that the chemistry department detected the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent on the eyes and face of Kim Jong Nam, who was poisoned Feb. 13 at the Kuala Lumpur airport. Police have said two women, currently in custody, coated their hands with the chemical and wiped Kim's face with it.
Subramaniam said Sunday the chemistry department's finding confirmed the hospital's autopsy result, which suggested a chemical agent caused "very serious paralysis" that led to death "in a very short period of time." He said the VX agent can lead to death very quickly in high doses.
Subramaniam says there have been no reports of anyone else being sickened by the toxin since the attack.
Malaysian authorities have begun sweeping the airport terminal where North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un's half brother was killed to check for possible traces of the nerve agent that was suspected to have been used in the attack.
The investigation has unleashed a serious diplomatic fight between Malaysia and North Korea, a prime suspect in the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur's airport. Friday's revelation by Malaysian police that the banned chemical weapon VX nerve agent was used to kill Kim raised the stakes significantly in a case that has broad geopolitical implications.
The sweep started around 2 a.m. Sunday with parts of the departure hall of the budget terminal, where Kim was killed, cordoned off. It involved officers from the police's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear teams, as well as the fire department's hazardous materials unit and the government's atomic energy board.
Police officials say no flights are scheduled at the terminal during the sweep.