Six people died after a liquid nitrogen leak at the Foundation Food Group poultry plant in Gainesville, Ga., on Thursday, Jan. 28, according to Bloomberg. Five people died at the scene and one person died in a hospital emergency room, according to a spokesperson for the Northeast Georgia Health System. Nine others were transported to the hospital, with three in critical condition.
“Preliminary indications are that a nitrogen line ruptured inside the facility,” according to a company spokesperson. “Those lost today include maintenance, supervisory, and management team members.”
Four of the injured were firefighters. Additionally, 130 people were transported by bus to a church for medical evaluation for potential respiratory issues.
The nitrogen leak may be the deadliest in Georgia and possibly the country since at least 2017, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration records. Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said his department was investigating the deaths and that the OSHA was on the scene.
Nitrogen asphyxiation has been connected to 53 deaths over the past 20 years, according to an OSHA database.
Foundation Food Group was formed following the merger of Prime-Pak Foods Inc. and Victory Processing Inc., according to a company statement.