Following their exposure to an ammonia leak at a food processing facility in Sterling, Virginia, at least 33 persons needed to be hospitalized on Wednesday night.
Around 8:30 p.m., Loudoun County Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Laura Rinehart confirmed that the agency had received complaints of a gas leak, WTOP said. The Cuisine Solutions location is where the leak was found. Officials from the city claim that everyone who was exposed to the gas worked at the factory.
Five of the 33 hospitalized patients have critical conditions, while 17 have serious but non-life-threatening conditions. Ammonia, whether pure or concentrated, can be fatal to humans.
“Primarily, it is an inhalation hazard, so inhaling it is bad, getting it on your skin is bad. It’s attracted to moisture, so you may get burns if it’s on your skin,” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Travis Preau stated to Fox 5 DC.
“Pure ammonia” was seeping into the building, he claimed. At the location of the chemical release were first responders from Prince William County, the airports in the Loudoun, Fairfax, and Washington, DC areas.
According to the first reports, at least four of the 26 hospitalized individuals were “experiencing significant symptoms” as a result of their chemical exposure. After further details became available, that figure was revised.
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Authorities in the area are still investigating the precise number of individuals who may have needed medical assistance after being exposed.
The ammonia leak was brought on by a leaking valve, according to Laura Rinehart, a spokeswoman for Loudoun County Fire & Rescue. She attested to the fact that the leak was stopped and that the neighborhood is not still in danger. Following the incident, plant employees were turned away on Thursday morning.
