Two employees killed at Fayetteville plant :: WRAL.com

By Sydney Franklin, WRAL multiplatform producer and Aaron Thomas, WRAL reporter

Fayetteville, North Carolina – Two people were killed in a factory in Fayetteville on Sunday afternoon.

Officials said the incident took place in a pit at the Valley Proteins factory at 1309 Industrial Dr. at around 1:30 p.m. Valley Proteins, Inc. collects, processes and recycles animals and supermarket waste , according to its website.

The two deceased worked at the plant, according to Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright. Their identity is retained pending notification of the family.

MPs said the cause of death was still under investigation.

A factory employee told WRAL News that working in these environments can be risky. The employee, who asked not to be identified, said it was likely the two employees found unconscious were exposed to hydrogen sulfide while working in the pit. High exposure to the gas can be extremely dangerous, even fatal, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Valley Proteins employee said workers knew something was wrong on Sunday when an employee tried to communicate by radio and received no response.

“They were discovered by two production workers walking around the area and found them face down, unconscious,” he said.

The City of Fayetteville HAZMAT Fire Department and Pearce’s Mill Volunteer Fire Department responded to the incident and evacuated the building. The OSHA emergency response team in North Carolina also responded to the deaths.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Detective D. Bennett at 910-677-5506 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.