20 Cheese Plant Workers in New Mexico Sick After Inhaling Toxic Fumes

A hazardous chemical incident at a cheese plant in eastern New Mexico left 20 workers sickened by toxic fumes on Monday with two individuals in critical condition, authorities said.

Why It Matters

Toxic fumes pose significant health risks, especially when inhaled in industrial settings, as they can contain hazardous chemicals like chlorine or acids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these fumes can irritate the respiratory system, causing symptoms ranging from coughing and throat irritation to severe respiratory distress and lung damage.

What To Know

The Curry County Sheriff's Office reported that more than a dozen workers were transported to area hospitals by ambulances and private vehicles Monday morning after toxic fumes were created at the Southwest Cheese plant in Clovis, New Mexico.

While authorities did not release additional details about the severity of the injuries, Curry County Sheriff Michael Brockett told Fox News Digital that two of the injured workers were in critical condition. In total, 14 employees were taken to two local hospitals.

Police barrier seen in Royal Oak, Michigan, on May 14, 2018. A hazardous chemical incident at a cheese plant in eastern New Mexico left 20 workers sickened by toxic fumes Monday. Getty Images

Cause Of Toxic Fumes

According to the sheriff's office, crews first responded to a strong smell that was reported at the Southwest Cheese plant as .67 gallons of acid was spilled and mixed with .61 gallons of chlorine, creating a dangerous chemical reaction.

Southwest Cheese, a major dairy processor in operation since 2005, described the incident as a chemical overflow stemming from equipment malfunction in a single room of the facility.

Employees in the vicinity were exposed to the fumes before the area was sealed off in line with the company's emergency response protocol, the company said in a statement.

Production at the plant, which processes billions of pounds of milk annually into cheese and whey protein powders, resumed later the same morning following clearance by safety crews.

What People Are Saying

Southwest Cheese said in a statement issued Monday: "The health and safety of our employees is our top priority. Our onsite team reacted quickly, following our incident response action plan, closing off the affected area. Our key focus is supporting our impacted employees at this time."

What Happens Next

While some details of the incident remain unclear, investigators are working to pinpoint the cause of the equipment failure. Southwest Cheese has also pledged full cooperation with authorities to ensure worker safety moving forward.

In addition, Clovis Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team and New Mexico State Police are working with Southwest Cheese in clearing the chemicals.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.