Production at Bladen Co. Pork Plant Still Halted Following Tuesday Accident

TAR HEEL, N.C. Plant officials say it was simply a freak accident.

On Tuesday, at around 11 a.m., a 300,000 gallon water heater collapsed outside releasing a tidal wave that shoved a generator into an ammonia tank, severing the line.

"The bigger issue was that the water damaged the electrical system at the plant, which caused the power outage at the plant", said Smithfield spokesman, Dennis Pittman.

What happened after the accident is key. Within minutes, the plant evacuated the more than 2,400 people inside, sending them to designated safe areas.

"We're really pleased with how well coordinated everything went. We truly had a textbook situation here on how to handle an emergency", said Pittman.

Nearly a dozen people were sent to local hospitals for treatment including ammonia exposure. Dr. Michael Zappa, the associate chief medical examiner at Cape Fear Valley, said the response was quick.

"EMS on the scene did a great job at doing an assessment and controlling the situation, and informing the facilities on what to expect, that way we could be prepared," said Dr. Zappa.

With production at the plant halted, Pittman said theyre transferring the work to other facilities.

"We're trying to shift work to other locations to make sure we cover as much as we can. You're never 100-percent sure when you are supplying this much product around the world. We literally supply product all over the world from this plant," said Pittman.

He expects the plant to be up and running by second shift on Thursday.

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Production at Bladen Co. Pork Plant Still Halted Following Tuesday Accident