FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Approximately 300 Tyson Foods employees were forced to evacuate a processing plant in Springdale and about 100 of them were sent to local hospitals after an accidental mixture of chemicals created a chlorine gas inside a portion of the plant, according to The Associated Press.

“An accidental mixture of chemicals used in the food safety process at our Berry Street poultry plant in Springdale produced chlorine fumes,” Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson confirmed to MEATPOULTRY.com. “We immediately evacuated 300 workers from the plant and contacted the fire department for assistance. Some of the workers experienced respiratory problems. While we don’t have a final tally, we can tell you more than 100 workers were taken to five local hospitals to be assessed.”