MULTIPLE people were rushed to the hospital following a chemical leak at a food processing plant in Gainesville, Georgia.
Hall County officials have confirmed at least 10 people were injured and taken to the hospital following a leak at a Prime Pak Foods in Gainesville.
How many people died in the Gainesville Hazmat explosion?
Officials confirmed at least 16 Prime Pak Foods employees are dead.
Among the dead are members of management, supervisory and maintenance staff, officials said in a press conference this afternoon.
Ten people were taken to a nearby hospital, one of them has since died and three are in critical condition, health officials with the Northeast Georgia Health System said.
"We have had 10 patients who have been transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville," Sean Couch, the public relations director for Northeast Georgia Health System confirmed.
"Out of those 10, we did have one who died while experiencing treatment in our emergency department."
Three Gainesville firefighters and one firefighter from Hall County were among those taken to hospitals.
Foundation Food Group spokesperson Nicholas Ancrum described the incident as a "tragic accident".
"Preliminary indications are that a nitrogen line ruptured inside a facility," Ancrum said.
"While we wait for confirmation we are very sad to say, 16 members appear to have died."
What caused the chemical leak?
Officials said a liquid nitrogen leak happened at Prime Pak Foods around 10am.
A local elementary school initially said the blast erupted following a "nitrogen leak," but claimed it was "contained/not airborne."
Lyman Hall Elementary school asked students to shelter in place following the blast.
"Lyman Hall Elem is sheltering n place due to nitrogen leak at nearby poultry plant. Students indoors/safe. Leak contained/not airborne," the school tweeted.
How did the Gainesville officials initially respond to the scene?
Zachary Brackett of Hall County Fire Services said fire officials were called to Prime Pak Food just after 10am for "a report of burns".
"Once the units arrived they found a large contingent of employees that have evacuated along with multiple victims that were in that crowd experiencing medical emergencies," Brackett said.
"The product in question that was involved in this incident has been confirmed to be liquid nitrogen, no explosion has occurred."
The Gainesville police department initially responded to the scene as a "HAZMAT situation".
"The entire roadway of Memorial Park Drive/Road (from Browns Bridge Rd to Atlanta Hwy) is shut down due to a HAZMAT situation.
"Please avoid the area and use alternate routes," the Gainesville police department tweeted just before 11am on January 28.
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