New Mexico factory releases toxic gas, injuring 20 cheese factory workers.

On Monday, a chemical spill at a New Mexico cheese factory caused toxic gas to be released, resulting in injuries to twenty people, officials reported.

The Southwest Cheese factory in Clovis experienced an incident at around 9:15 a.m. on Monday, which was confirmed by the Curry County Sheriff's Office to Planet Chronicle Digital.

One part of the factory released toxic gas after a chemical spill, which was discovered by emergency responders upon arrival.

"The Curry County Sheriff's Office stated in a press release that an equipment malfunction caused 8.67 gallons of acid to spill and mix with .61 gallons of chlorine, resulting in a toxic chemical mixture that spread in one area of the facility."

Two of the injured workers were in critical condition, according to Sheriff Michael Brockett, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital. A total of 14 employees were transported to two local hospitals.

Some of the injured workers were moved in private vehicles, but authorities did not disclose the extent of their injuries.

"The Clovis Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team was activated and responded to the scene, while New Mexico State Police is coordinating with Southwest Cheese in cleaning the hazardous chemicals."

According to a statement made to Planet Chronicle Digital, Southwest Cheese stated that a mechanical failure resulted in a "chemical overflow," and employees reported a "strong smell" coming from one of the factory's rooms.

"Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees," the company stated. "Our onsite team promptly followed our incident response plan, securing the affected area."

"Our key focus is supporting our impacted employees at this time."

Southwest Cheese specializes in producing hard cheeses and whey products, with its whey products consisting of whey concentrates for use in dairy products like ice cream and whey isolates for protein bars.

"Southwest Cheese uses fresh milk from local dairy farmers to produce premium cheeses and high-quality whey protein powders for customers worldwide. The company rigorously tests every delivery of milk for contaminants and rejects any that do not meet their stringent quality standards."

Investigations are underway regarding the incident, but no further information is currently available.