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New Russian poison victim
Last updated at 16:54pm on 30.11.06The Russian spy radiation mystery deepened tonight when it emerged that the country's former prime minister is gravely ill after being poisoned.
Yegor Gaidar fell seriously ill after attending a conference in Dublin.
"Doctors don''t see a natural reason for the poisoning and they have not been able to detect any natural substance known to them," in Mr Gaidar's body, said spokesman Valery Natarov.
"So obviously we're talking about poisoning (and) it was not natural poisoning."
Mr Gaidar, who is now in hospital in Moscow, fell ill in Dublin last week. He has suffered bleeding and vomiting and is seriously ill.
He served as prime minister under Boris Yeltsin and was a friend of Alexander Litvinenko, who died last week after being poisoned in London, although it is not known when the pair last met.
Meanwhile, the radiation alert in London widened today as the Government warned that 12 locations have been contaminated by the chemical that killed a former Russian spy.
Home Secretary John Reid also told MPs that traces of polonium 210 are likely to be found at more sites around the capital as the police investigation into Mr Litvinenko's death continues.
Mr Reid said that contamination had been found in four aircraft - three BA jets and one Russian plane - that had flown between London and Moscow, affecting up to 36,000 passengers and staff.
He insisted that the risk to the public remained low and that although 18 people had been referred to specialist clinics for checks, all 29 cases where urine samples had been taken had so far proved negative.
However, concern continues to focus on the growing number of offices, businesses and vehicles contaminated by the deadly radioactive isotope.
Scotland Yard confirmed the location of 11 of the 12 positive tests: the Itsu sushi restaurant in Piccadilly, the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Mr Litvinenko's home in Muswell Hill, Barnet General Hospital, University College Hospital, the headquarters of security company Erinys at 25 Grosvenor Street and a nearby address of 58 Grosvenor Street, the offices of Russian tycoon Boris Berezovskyat 7 Down Street, the Sheraton Hotel in Park Lane and twoBA aircraft at Heathrow.
The location of the 12th positive test is unclear, although it appears to be an aircraft interior engineering plant in south Wales to which seats from one of the affected planes were sent.
BA is seeking to contact 33,000 of its passengers who have flown on three affected aircraft, two of which are currently grounded at Heathrow. A third is being held in Moscow. Around 3,000 BA staff have also had contact with the planes.
A Russian aircraft is also understood to be potentially contaminated. Mr Reid told the Commons that the suspect plane was leased by Trans Aero and landed at Heathrow this morning. It is being investigated by the Health Protection Agency.
In all, the alert has involved 221 flights on 10 different routes since 25 October. So far 2,500 passengers have contacted BA to say they were on those flights.
Mr Reid said that NHS Direct had received about 1,700 calls relating to the radiation incident and 69 people had been referred to the HPA.
An inquest into the former KGB colonel's death opened at St Pancras Coroner's Court today.
