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.
Of the 287 workers in the facility at the time of the leak, 33 people were taken to area hospitals, five of which are in serious condition and 17 are in serious but non-life-threatening condition. The remaining 11 had minor symptoms.
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.
The Center for Disease Control says that breathing in air contaminated with high levels of ammonia can irritate your skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. Long term exposure can cause a burning sensation, permanent blindness, and lung damage.
In serious cases, ammonia exposure can kill you. Most people can smell the pungent fumes from the chemical, but someone who has been exposed to higher than normal amounts of ammonia for a long time may not be able to sense the chemical.
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
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.
Cuisine Solutions makes prepared meals for airline catering companies and restaurants at the facility, thus the name of the street: Sous Vide Lane.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein, Terik King and Emily Venezky contributed to this report.
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