Hydrochloric Acid Spill Prompts Evacuation At Wis. Business

TURTLE LAKE, Wis. (WCCO) -- Sixty people have been evacuated and a few were being hospitalized after a chemical spill at a Wisconsin business Thursday morning, according to the Barron County Sheriff's Department.

The Sheriff's Department received the report of a chemical spill at around 11:30 a.m. at Sanmina SCI, located on 300 Industrial Avenue in Turtle Lake. It was determined to be a hydrochloric acid spill.

Of the sixty employees evacuated, five with minor respiratory irritation were taken to local hospitals. The remainder of the employees went to a nearby elementary school for evaluation. Four more Sanmina employees at the school were taken to local hospitals.

None of the injuries are significant or life-threatening.

Crews were working on airing out the plant Wednesday afternoon.

Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says the gaseous chemical was contained to within the building where the spill occurred and there is no threat to the community. Nonetheless, an nearby senior apartment building was evacuated as precaution.

The company is now following procedures to clean up the spill.

Sanmina is a company that makes die-cast models and plastic parts.