Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl causing numerous deaths in Yakima County

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Authorities in Yakima County are warning people about counterfeit pills that have caused numerous deaths over the past several days.

According to the Yakima County Coroner's Office, the small blue pills appear to be sold as Oxycontin, but investigators believe the pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that's 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.

The pill is round and about the same diameter as an Ibuprofen, but with half the thickness and the number "30" imprinted on it.

Anyone who has come across these pills is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency or the Yakima County Sherriff's Office at 509-574-2500.