Ammonia leak at shrimp farm causes scare
It was the kind of industrial accident that could have turned out much worse. And although this morning’s leak of deadly ammonia gas at the Nova Shrimp Farm did not result in any serious injuries, for a while things were pretty tense. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods reports from the scene in Ladyville.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Employees were just arriving at the compound when there was a loud noise. Thick black smoke was seen billowing from above the shrimp factory and then a strong odour of ammonia filled the air. A number of workers, who were inside the plant, were quickly overcome by the noxious substance.
Christopher Thomas, Employee, NOVA Shrimp Farm
“The thing was smelling all that high; several people start to drop down, got to call the ambulance and rush them down. Like one spell it eased down and the crowd came back, and then the breeze blow it again and it was all in our face.”
Enslo Cadle, Employee, NOVA Shrimp Farm
“I experience a blockage in my breathing system. I did not know what it was; I just start to run like a headless chicken. I don’t know what it was, I get to understand that it’s ammonia, I noh know.”
Reports are that a couple of the employees fainted, while others complained about difficulty breathing. A total of eleven workers had to be rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. They have since been treated and released.
Jacqueline Woods
“Health officials are inside the compound trying to contain the leak. The scent has died down a bit, however, you still continue to get a strong whiff of the ammonia.”
Investigations reveal that the leak was caused after an ammonia suction pipe, located in the factory’s ceiling, burst.
Joseph Martinez, Refrigeration Operator, NOVA
“We have the liquid line and we have the suction line. What it does, the liquid line feeds our refrigeration units, the blast freezers and stuff. But this was the suction line that is used to return all liquids and stuff back in the receiver.”
“What happened is that we had some welding done sometime ago and apparently it’s from where the welding was done on the pipe; apparently it built up and burst from there.”
All essential valves were quickly closed to prevent any further leakage. While no one was seriously affected by the incident, the company may lose over seven thousand pounds of shrimp. According to John Bodden, Acting Senior Public Health Inspector and Coordinator of Environmental Health, they are concerned about the supply of shrimp that was in bins about to be processed.
John Bodden, Ag. Senior Public Health Inspector
“After we received the information about the situation up here, we came to do an assessment to see exactly what had happened, basically in terms of the workers health as well as the food product that is here.”
“The shrimp that is being freezed at the moment, that is not the problem. The ones that we have awaiting processing, that’s our concern because the seal on the containers are not air tight and so if you have escaped gas, it can easily enter the container. So that is our concerned for the moment.”
Bodden says with the cooperation of Belize Agricultural Health Authority, tests will need to be done in order to see if any of the shrimp were contaminated. In the meantime, the Ministry of Health has ordered the company to temporarily close down its operations until the gas has dissipated and clean up operations have been completed. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
According to Bodden, the plant should be back in operation by Tuesday.
