Five people, including two firefighters, were taken to hospital following a chemical spill at an industrial site in Co Down late last night.
The incident occurred at Leprino Foods, a cheese processing factory located near the village of Magheralin. Emergency services were alerted at approximately 10.30pm and responded promptly to the scene.
The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed that four fire appliances and a command support unit attended the incident. They were supported by emergency ambulances, a hazardous area response team, a doctor, and officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
In total, 17 people were assessed at the scene by ambulance crews. Five of them—including two firefighters—were transported to hospital as a precaution. All have since been discharged and none were reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries.
Due to the number of individuals requiring treatment, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service declared a major incident. The emergency response remained active until approximately 4.50am, when all services left the scene.
The NIFRS confirmed that there was no wider public risk from the incident but implemented a 100-metre exclusion zone around the site as a precautionary measure. “The incident was brought under control in conjunction with the site operator,” a spokesperson said.
Despite the overnight emergency, the factory reopened for business today.
An investigation into the cause of the chemical spill is likely to follow. Neither the type of chemical involved nor the circumstances surrounding the spill have been disclosed at this time.
