Officials say no contaminant was found at the scene of a manufacturing facility in Salem after more than two dozen workers went to the hospital after feeling sick.
Hazmat crews concluded their search of Thermal Circuits on Technology Way, which manufactures e-cigarettes. Crews spent nearly 12 hours searching for a contaminant after 15 people were taken to the hospitals and 15 others drove themselves to get medical treatment.
The search concluded at 2:30 a.m., and no contaminant was found.
Officials say new carpeting was being installed in the building, which left an odor but did not result in any hazardous readings.
Of the 30 who went to area hospitals, state officials say “few, if any” were admitted.
Employees had evacuated by the time first responders arrived on scene.
“Some people claim they were having symptoms of difficulty breathing, nausea and some other issues related to their conscious level,” Deputy Chief Alan Dionne said. “There seemed to be a panic and they all made an exit.”
They had previously responded to Thermal Circuits earlier in the day for reports of another chemical leak, where they found a chlorine tank leaking in the storage room.
Firefighters cleaned up the leak and cleared the area for normal operations. No injuries were reported at that time.
Fire officials are trying to determine what caused employees to feel sick later in the day after finding no traces of chlorine.
Officials from the state’s department of environmental protection as well as OSHA and the EPA were also on scene to investigate.
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