After two days of uncertainty over the number of people killed and injured at the Gainesville explosion accident at the Prime Pak Foods poultry plant in Georgia, officials have announced the names of six individuals who lost their lives:
- Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera, 45, of Gainesville
- Corey Alan Murphy, 35, of Clermont
- Nelly Perez-Rafael, 28, of Gainesville
- Saulo Suarez-Bernal, 41, of Dawsonville
- Victor Vellez, 38, of Gainesville
- Edgar Vera-Garcia, 28, of Gainesville
The investigation into the cause of the Gainesville explosion accident is ongoing. With that said, what is known is that somehow a liquid nitrogen line at the poultry processing facility ruptured. Evidently, the break in the liquid nitrogen pipe had the sound of an explosion. Teachers at a neighboring elementary school reported hearing an explosion at the time of the break, the school going into a stay in place protocol.
Some workers on duty at the Prime Pak Foods Gainesville explosion accident evidently suffered burn injuries. When human skin comes into contact with liquid nitrogen, severe burns can occur.
While the burns are of significant medical concern, what happens to liquid nitrogen when it is released into the air can be more problematic. In this case, early reports from investigators make it clear that the effect of liquid nitrogen released into the air is the reason why six people were killed and most people were injured. The number of people injured as a result of the Gainesville explosion accident is unknown.
When liquid nitrogen hits the air it immediately turns into an odorless gas. Nitrogen gas then rapidly displaces breathable air, which is what occurred inside the Prime Pak Foods plant on the day of the Gainesville explosion accident.
About 130 were able to evacuate the Georgia poultry processing plant in the immediate aftermath of the accident. Five workers were not so fortunate. They were asphyxiated and died at the scene. One worker overcome by the lack of oxygen was barely alive when he was removed from the facility and transported to an area hospital. He was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
Officials believe that they may never get an accurate count of injured workers at the plant. Evidently, there are some immigrant workers at the facility that are leery of making contact with medical service providers.
Multiple state and federal agencies are involved in the investigation of the Prime Pak Foods explosion accident. These include the Georgia Fire Marshal as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA.
The disaster at the plant this week is not the first time serious injuries have occurred at the Prime Pak Foods poultry plant. The facility has been investigated by OSHA multiple times for worker safety violations. Prime Pak Foods faced stiff penalties for violation of worker safety protocols multiple times. Indeed, at the time of the Prime Pak Foods explosion, the plant and its parent company, Foundation Food Group, was in the midst of an OSHA investigation regarding worker safety deficiencies.
If you were injured in the Gainesville explosion accident, or if you lost a loved one as a result of the Prime Pack Foods poultry processing plant industrial accident, you undoubtedly have many questions. The Doan Law Firm has established a Prime Pack Foods poultry industrial accident hotline at (678) 855-0000. You can arrange a meeting with an experienced Georgia explosion accident lawyer any time of the day or night by calling us.
A Georgia explosion accident lawyer is here to meet with you at our office, your home, the hospital, or anywhere else that is convenient for you. We can arrange a virtual appointment with you online as well. There is no charge for a preliminary appointment and consultation with an industrial accident lawyer from our firm.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee promise to you. Our firm never charges a fee unless we win your case for you. Our Gainesville explosion accident lawyer team is committed to winning big for you.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued a statement in which he asked “all Georgians to join us in praying for the families” of Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera, 45, Corey Alan Murphy, Nelly Perez-Rafael, Saulo Suarez-Bernal, Victor Vellez, and Edgar Vera-Garcia. “God be a hand of peace, comfort, and healing in the days ahead.”