Six poultry plant workers died and eleven people were injured on Thursday following a liquid nitrogen leak in Gainesville, Georgia, according to officials.
Five of the workers died at the Foundation Food Group plant, known as Prime Pak Foods until earlier this month, and another worker died while at the hospital, said Hall County Fire Division Chief Zach Bracket in a press conference. The plant processes raw chicken into prepared foods, such as chicken nuggets and chicken cutlets, for use at restaurants.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said authorities were trying to identify all of the victims of the plant incident and from there would begin next-of-kin notifications. “A lot of these folks that came into work today did not have any idea of what would happen, nor did their families. They’re not in a profession where you would expect something like this to happen,” emphasized Couch.
Nicholas Ancrum, vice president for human resources at Foundation Food Group, said preliminary indications point to a ruptured nitrogen line as the cause of the incident. He said the incident occurred at around 10 am on Thursday, and that the plant’s 130 workers were immediately evacuated.
“Those lost today include maintenance, supervisory, and management team members,” said Ancrum. “Every team member is equally important to us, and our hearts go out to their families and communities who have suffered such a devastating loss.”
Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze poultry after processing but can evaporate into a gas that can displace oxygen when inhaled, according to The New York Times. It can also cause burns when it comes into contact with human skin in its liquid form, Professor Rick Danheiser, a chemistry professor at MIT, told the news agency.
A spokesperson for the hospital system said twelve patients had been transported to the hospital, including the one who died, and three were in critical condition as of Thursday afternoon. Another five were in fair condition, and three had been released already. All of the injuries were described as “respiratory in nature,” said the hospital spokesperson.
One firefighter who responded to the incident at the plant was among those taken to the hospital. The fire department said that he was “doing well,” and would likely be released on Friday following an overnight evaluation for respiratory symptoms. It’s not clear how the firefighter was injured.
“Our hearts are broken hearing about the tragedy that took place at Prime Pak Foods in Gainesville this morning,” said Governor Brian Kemp (R) in a statement Thursday afternoon, in which he also said: “Marty, the girls, and I ask all Georgians to join us in praying for the families facing a terrible loss and the other employees who are receiving medical care. May God be a hand of peace, comfort, and healing in the days ahead.”
https://t.co/HktI7rbdCv pic.twitter.com/PZI3Idld1r
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) January 28, 2021