Five in hospital, hundreds evacuated after ‘industrial-size’ chemical leak

Five people are in hospital following an “industrial-size” chemical leak at the Dinmore Meatworks overnight on Wednesday.

Emergency services were called to the facility on Lock Way in Riverview, about 30 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, shortly after 12.30am on Thursday to reports of a chemical leak.

Almost 900 people had been evacuated from the facility over what a spokesperson for the Queensland Fire Department called a “very large ammonia leak”.

Paramedics assessed 17 people for “varying degrees of respiratory symptoms”, taking two people to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and three to Ipswich Hospital.

All five patients taken to hospital were in stable conditions.

The Queensland Fire Department spokesperson said six fire crews – including scientific officers – were called to the ammonia leak and took about six hours to neutralise the leak with citric acid.

They said the leak itself was stopped in the early hours of Thursday morning, but a large amount of the toxic gas had flooded the building.

By about 7.30am crews were still ventilating the site, which remained shut down.

Ammonia is a colourless, strong-smelling gas used in household and industrial cleaners. It is corrosive and toxic, so can cause severe irritation or burns in airways when inhaled.

JBS Aussie Beef, which own the Dinmore Meatworks, was contacted for comment.