The Thermal Circuits e-cigarette factory in Salem, Massachusetts The hazmat Incident after the chlorine leak makes many workers sick

The fire and hazardous materials crews were working late into Sunday night to determine what triggered the panic and sickened about 30 people at an electronic cigarette manufacturer in Salem, Massachusetts. A spokesman for the state's fire department said a fire brigade was attending the Salem fire department at the Thermal Circuits factory and that 15 people were taken to the local hospital while about fifteen others went to hospitals.

A team of nebulae had entered the building and were trying to determine what was causing so many respiratory problems and nausea. Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Fire Department, said the field crews "do not believe this is related to a chlorine leak earlier in the building because this process was stopped and did not been restarted ".

The fire crews were first called to the factory Sunday afternoon to respond to this leak, but they left saying that no one was injured and that the leak has been treated. Less than two hours after the officials gave the green light, however, around 8 pm, they were called back to the facility to help people suffering from the symptoms described above.

"There seemed to be panic in the building" as workers began to run out of the building, said Salem Fire Chief Alan Dionne at CBS Boston. Dionne described it as "mass hysteria" as employees rushed out of the building. CBS Boston said 450-500 people were working at the time of the incident, and that people started reporting symptoms shortly after a shift shift.

A Salem hospital official told CBS Boston early Monday morning that 20 people were being treated for an unspecified illness related to the incident.

Acting Salem Fire Chief Gerry Giunta told CBS News Monday that a total of 29 people had been treated, including one who had apparently been seized and had been transported to a Boston hospital. The majority of patients were treated and released, but some, including the person suspected of having a seizure, remained hospitalized.

Firefighters said that they did not detect any chlorine in the plant when they came back the second time. An investigation was to take place all night and Mieth said more information would be available later Monday morning.

When asked if the company would reopen Monday, Dionne said the Thermal Circuits factory would not "reopen absolutely" Monday morning.