Smithfield Foods plant evacuated after ammonia release, four employees taken to hospital

Hazmat crews responded to a Smithfield Foods plant in Tar Heel following an ammonia leak that occurred at the facility on Friday morning.

A statement from Smithfield Foods said that there was an ammonia release in a refrigerated section of the facility around 1 a.m. The release prompted an evacuation.

Four employees experiencing nausea were taken to the hospital and later released. All employees were eventually sent home.

"We have suspended operations for the remainder of the day as we investigate the cause," the statement read. "Operations will resume only after we have confirmed the cause of the release and resolved the issue."

A representative said one employee was found unresponsive in his vehicle in the plant parking lot around 4:30 a.m. The man was later pronounced dead. The cause of the man's death is unknown but there is no indication that his death was related to the ammonia release.

The plant is the largest meatpacking facility in the country based on the number of employees.

This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Smithfield Foods was in the news during the pandemic when WRAL News confirmed at least 76 employees at the plant were infected with coronavirus. The plant is the largest pork processing facility in the world and employs 4,500 people.