Woman exposed to Novichok nerve agent in UK dies

July 8 (local time),APBritish police said Ms Sturgess, one of two suspected victims of the nerve agent Novichok, died in hospital in Salisbury.

According toAPPolice suspect Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley came into contact with contaminated material left behind from the first attack. More than 100 police officers are searching for a glass vial suspected of containing Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Paul Mills, deputy chief constable of Wiltshire Police, said police had cordoned off at least five areas including a park and a house in Salisbury, and a pharmacy and church in Amesbury.

According toReutersNeil Basu, head of the counter-terrorism unit, said there was no indication that the two victims were intentionally targeted.

Dawn Sturgess, who died from Novichok poisoning. Photo:Facebook.

Ms Sturgess has been in hospital since 30 June along with Mr Charlie Rowley, 45, with symptoms similar to those of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia who were poisoned in March. Police said they were all exposed to the nerve agent Novichok.

New Home Secretary Sajid Javid visited Salisbury and Amesbury on July 8 to reassure residents following the incidents. Javid said the risk to the public was low and the two areas should remain open for business and tourism.

Britain has repeatedly accused Russia of being involved in the poisoning of the former spy, but the Kremlin has denied it and said that Russia had repeatedly offered to help investigate the cause of the attack but was rejected by the British government.

"The accusations against Russia are a sophisticated attempt to destroy our reputation and the organization of the World Cup," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Following the UK's accusations, nearly 30 countries expelled more than 150 Russian diplomats. Moscow responded by expelling more than 150 Western diplomats working in Russia.