Fayetteville, NC – Two people died at a plant in Fayetteville on Sunday afternoon.
Officials said the incident occurred in a pit at the Valley Proteins plant, at 1309 Industrial Dr., around 1:30 p.m., Valley Proteins, Inc. collects, yields and recycles animals and supermarket waste, according to its website.
The two people who died worked at the plant, according to Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright. Identification is being withheld pending family notification.
Deputies said the cause of death is still being investigated.
An employee of the plant told WRAL News that working in these environments can pose a risk. The employee, who asked not to be identified, said it is likely that the two employees who were found unresponsive were exposed to hydrogen sulfide while working in the pit. High gas exposures can be extremely dangerous and even fatal, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Valley Proteins employee said workers knew something was wrong Sunday when an employee tried to broadcast the radio and received no response.
“They were discovered by two production employees who were walking around the area and found them face down, unanswered,” he said.
Fayetteville City’s HAZMAT fire department and Mill Pearce’s Mill volunteer fire service responded to the incident and evacuated the building. The North Carolina OSHA emergency response team also responded to the deaths.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective D. Bennett at 910-677-5506 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.
