The incident occurred in the state of Georgia, in the southeastern United States. A liquid nitrogen leak in an agri-food factory caused the death of at least six people Thursday, January 28, employees of the company. Eleven other people were evacuated to hospital, local police said. The cause of the chemical leak, which did not cause an explosion, remains unknown for the time being, a Gainesville police official said in a press conference.
The accident happened around 10 a.m. (3 p.m. GMT) at a factory specializing in processing poultry, Prime Pak Foods, located in Hall County. Five people died at the plant and one died on arrival at the hospital, Hall County Fire Department Zachary Brackett said at a press conference. “Two or three people were lying on the ground when first aid arrived, they had lost consciousness,” said a truck driver who witnessed the accident.
Confined schools
Three injured are in critical condition, five suffer from minor injuries and three others were able to leave the hospital in the afternoon, said Sean Couch, head of regional health authorities. All the injured suffer from respiratory problems, he said. The other 130 employees of the company, located in an industrial area southwest of Gainesville, 500 km south of Atlanta, were quickly evacuated by bus. The deceased employees were part of the maintenance, supervision and management departments. Students from surrounding schools were temporarily confined to their classrooms.
The cause of the chemical leak, which did not cause an explosion, remains unknown for the time being. Investigators were able to enter the site in the early afternoon, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Derreck Booth. The company’s vice-president, Nicholas Ancrum, refused to explain the origin of the leak. “We will not be able to say precisely and with certainty how this incident happened before the end of the investigation,” he said.
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