At least 33 people were sent to the hospital Wednesday night after being exposed to a chemical leak of ammonia inside a Sterling, Virginia, food processing plant.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Laura Rinehart confirmed with WTOP that officials were called to the Cuisine Solutions facility on Sous Vide Lane around 8:30 p.m. on reports of a gas leak.
As of Thursday morning, 33 people were taken to area hospitals, five of which are in serious condition and 17 are in serious but non-life-threatening condition.
Officials originally announced Wednesday night that 26 people were sent to the hospital. At least four of the people exposed to the chemical were “experiencing significant symptoms,” the rescue agency said in a post on X.
INCIDENT ALERT: At approximately 8:36 p.m., the Loudoun County ECC received a 9-1-1 call reporting a gas leak inside a commercial building in the 22400 block of Sous Vide Lane in Sterling… cont. @Chief600KJ pic.twitter.com/X7XzT9Eiwz
— (@LoudounFire) August 1, 2024
Authorities are still trying to determine exactly how many people have been exposed and require medical attention.
A leaking valve was the cause of the exposure, Rinehart said.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said the leak has been contained and that there is no ongoing threat to the surrounding community. Employees arriving to the facility are being told “no work” is available Thursday morning as security limits access to the plant.
This story is developing. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein and Terik King contributed to this report.
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