At least six people have been killed and more than 100 treated by medics after a liquid nitrogen leak at a food processing plant in the US state of Georgia, local officials said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at the Prime Pak Foods plant in Gainesville, Hall County, at around 10am local time Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Northeast Georgia Health System said multiple people are receiving emergency treatment, with at least 10 people hospitalized.
Five people reportedly died at the scene, while a sixth succumbed to injuries after being rushed to hospital.
One eyewitness to the aftermath of the incident told news outlet CBS46 that he saw people fleeing the site “screaming and yelling and looking for one another”.
We’ve been asked to leave the church where 130 employees were sent for monitoring after the leak. They’re being checked out now. One man told us he was doing fine, but many are concerned about getting In trouble for talking about this incident . @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/npAp6sEOzc
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) January 28, 2021
Four firefighters are among those admitted to hospital, and three people are in a critical condition, health officials said.
At least 130 people were treated at a nearby church and students at an elementary school were ordered to shelter indoors. Police have told people to avoid the area and local road closures are in place.
Lyman Hall Elem is sheltering n place due to nitrogen leak at nearby poultry plant. Students indoors/safe. Leak contained/not airborne. Memorial Park Highway closed temporarily as officials address the situation. We will notify parents once the shelter in place has been lifted.
— Hall County Schools (@Hall_Schools) January 28, 2021
The entire roadway of Memorial Park Drive/Road (from Browns Bridge Rd to Atlanta Hwy) is shut down due to a HAZMAT situation. Please avoid the area and use alternate routes.
— Gainesville Police (@COGPolice) January 28, 2021
‘many are concerned about getting In trouble for talking about this incident ‘
Fresh out of High School I went to work for a local large chain Hog Slaughter house .
they had these Dry Ice machines all throughout the plant .
there was equipment that made the shit , and plumbed it into the building for all the machines
A huge leak of this chemical will asphyxiate you in no time flat , if it don’t instantly freeze you
Its amazing how many people work around dangerous substances that have zero clue about the hazards