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Twenty people were injured on Monday after a chemical spill New Mexico Cheese Factory released poisonous gas, according to officials.
The Curry County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital. Authorities were alerted to the incident at the Southwest Cheese factory in Clovis around 9:15 a.m. Monday.
When emergency services arrived, they discovered that a chemical spill had released a toxic gas in one part of the plant.
“It was learned that 8.67 gallons of acid spilled and mixed with 0.61 gallons of chlorine due to an equipment malfunction,” the Curry County Sheriff’s Office explained in a news release. “The chemical mixture produced a toxic gas that spread in one part of the facility.”
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A chemical spill at the Southwest Cheese factory in Clovis, NM has injured 20 employees. (Google Maps)
Sheriff Michael Brockett told Fox News Digital that the two injured workers were in critical condition. A total of 14 employees were transported to two local hospitals.
The authorities did not release additional details about the severity of the injuries, but some of the sick workers were transported by private vehicles.
“The Clovis Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team was activated and responded to the scene,” according to the news release. “New Mexico State Police are coordinating with Southwest Cheese to clean up hazardous chemicals.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Southwest Cheese said a mechanical malfunction caused a “chemical spill” and employees reported a “strong odor” wafting from one of the plant’s rooms.
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Southwest Cheese specializes in 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 responded quickly, following our incident response action plan, closing down the affected area.”
“Our key focus is supporting our affected employees at this time.”
According to Southwest Cheese website, the company specializes in manufacturing hard cheeses and whey products. Its whey products include whey concentrates used in dairy products such as ice cream and whey isolates used in protein bars.
“Using only the freshest milk supplied by our local dairy farmers, Southwest Cheese produces premium cheeses and high-quality whey protein powders for our global customers,” its website says. “Every delivery of milk is thoroughly tested for antibiotics and other contaminants. We discard any 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.
