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Nearly 900 Evacuated as Ammonia Leak Shuts JBS Dinmore Meatworks

The response highlights risks from industrial refrigeration systems using toxic ammonia.

Overview

  • The Dinmore Meatworks in Riverview, which reported a chemical leak shortly after 12:30am Thursday, evacuated almost 900 workers.
  • Queensland Fire Department sent six crews including scientific officers who stopped the leak and spent about six hours neutralising ammonia with citric acid.
  • Paramedics assessed 17 people for breathing issues, with three taken to Ipswich Hospital and two to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, all in stable condition.
  • Crews have been ventilating the building and the plant remains closed as air tests continue.
  • The facility, owned by JBS Aussie Beef, uses ammonia in industrial refrigeration, a corrosive gas that can burn airways if inhaled.