By Stephanie Sanchez
The El Paso Times
EL PASO, Texas — About 300 people were evacuated from a Northeast business Wednesday when a 10,000-gallon tank of liquid nitrogen began to leak, fire officials said.
Workers at Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems at 9566 Railroad discovered the leak just before 1:30 p.m. The tank had spilled at least 180 gallons before technicians began to work on the problem, Fire Department Battalion Chief Ramon Valencia said.
The spill occurred outside the business, but everyone in the building was evacuated as a precaution, he said. The evacuation lasted about an hour, and Boeing’s operations were not interrupted, he said.
Inhaling nitrogen in large amounts can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness and death.
Valencia said no injuries were reported. He said firefighters had directed everyone to a parking lot across the street while a hazardous materials team went inside the building.
Workers did not discuss the evacuation with reporters.
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