Chemical leak at pomegranate plant in the U.S.: dozens injured
A chemical leak occurred at the California plant of the American pomegranate juice producer POM Wonderful.
Medical assistance was required for 58 people, 11 of whom were hospitalized.
This was reported by the local affiliate of the ABC television network, citing the Fresno County Fire Department.
As a result of the incident, about 150 employees of the facility were evacuated. Workers who were in the leak zone complained of difficulty breathing and dizziness.
The company specified that about one gallon (approximately 3.8 liters) of BioSide cleaning solution, containing 15% peracetic acid, leaked at the plant. The substance seeped through a small hole in a pipeline.
POM Wonderful suggested that the damage may have been caused by equipment wear, but this has not been definitively confirmed.
The fire department reported that the employees were exposed to vapors from the solution. At the same time, the chemicals did not get into the sewer system or bodies of water, and no threat to the public arose outside the facility.
The plant resumed operations several hours after the incident.
