20 people were injured today, Monday, as a result of a chemical leak in a factory Cheese factory in New Mexico Toxic gases were released, according to officials.
the Curry County Sheriff's Office He confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital. Authorities were alerted to the incident at the Southwest Cheese Factory in Clovis at approximately 9:15 a.m. Monday.
When emergency responders arrived, they discovered that a chemical leak had released a toxic gas in one part of the plant.
“It has been learned that 8.67 gallons of acid was spilled and mixed with 0.61 gallons of chlorine due to an equipment failure,” the Curry County Sheriff's Office explained in a news release. He added, “The chemical mixture produced a toxic gas that spread in one area of the facility.”
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A chemical spill at a Southwest cheese factory in Clovis, New Mexico, injured 20 employees. (google maps)
Sheriff Michael Brockett told Fox News Digital that two of the injured workers were in critical condition. In total, 14 employees were transported to two local hospitals.
The authorities did not release additional details about the severity of the injuries, but some sick workers were transported in private cars.
“The Clovis Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team was activated and responded to the scene,” the news release noted. “New Mexico State Police are coordinating with Southwest Cheese to clean up the hazardous chemicals.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Southwest Cheese said a mechanical failure caused a “chemical flood,” and employees reported a “strong odor” emanating from one room of the plant.
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Southwest Cheese specializes in making hard cheeses and whey products, according to its website. (google maps)
“The health and safety of our employees is our top priority,” the company said. “Our on-site team reacted quickly, following the Incident Response Action Plan, and locked down the affected area.”
“Our primary focus is to support our impacted employees at this time.”
according to Southwest Cheese Company website, The company specializes in manufacturing Hard cheeses And whey products. Whey products include whey concentrates, which are used in dairy products such as ice cream, and whey isolate, which is used in protein bars.
“Using only the freshest milk of our local dairy farmers, Southwest Cheese produces premium cheeses and high-quality whey protein powders for our global customers,” it says on its website. “Every shipment of milk is rigorously tested to ensure there are no antibiotics or other contaminants. We reject all milk that does not meet our high quality standards.”
The Curry County Sheriff's Office and other agencies are investigating the incident. (google maps)
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Authorities are investigating the incident. No additional details are known at this time.
