By Alan Neuhauser and Tom Liddy
DNAinfo Reporters
MANHATTAN — A Midtown high-rise was partially locked down Wednesday afternoon after a suspicious powder was discovered, officials and witnesses said.
Workers on floors 20 to 22 were told to stay in their offices after the white powder was discovered at 40 W. 57th St., near Fifth Avenue, after 2 p.m., witnesses and officials said. Workers who were already outside those floors were not allowed to return.
Barbara Nicholas, of Bay Ridge, who works on the 20th floor, said that floors 20 to 22 were locked down for about a half-hour.
"They announced it was a police investigation," she said.
Around 3:15 p.m., an announcement was made over the intercom that workers would be allowed to leave those floors, but that they would not be allowed to take the elevator up.
A police official at the scene said that the powder was found in a letter.
It was not immediately clear what the substance was, but there were no immediate reports of injuries, FDNY officials said.
