Dozens Treated Following Hazardous Materials Leak At Vallejo Food Plant
VALLEJO (CBS SF) – Nearly 100 people who suffered nausea, dizziness and breathing problems from a carbon dioxide leak at a Vallejo food processing plant Friday afternoon were treated at Solano and Napa County hospitals, a fire captain said.
The leak occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the kitchen of Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods at 101 Benicia Ave.
"There are conflicting stories how it happened," fire Capt. Marty Culverwell said.
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
Ninety-five people were treated at Sutter Solano Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, both in Vallejo, the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield and Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Culverwell said. Twenty ambulances and two buses transported the patients.
Sutter Solano Medical Center treated and released 44 people, hospital spokesman Sy Neilson said. One male patient was admitted and was in serious condition.
Seven people initially went to Sutter Solano and others arrived by ambulances, fire trucks and a bus, Neilson said.
The hospital implemented its incident command system. Patients began arriving between 1:30 and 2 p.m.
Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center treated some 30 people for headaches, nausea and respiratory issues, spokeswoman Deniene Erickson said. All were expected to be released.
Sixteen people went to the NorthBay Medical Center and eight to Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Culverwell said.
Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods makes private-label fresh and frozen food, including salads, wraps, burritos and pizza in its 50,000 square-foot plant for retail outlets, according to the company's website.
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