Police officials said at least six people have been reported dead and another nine with injuries after a tank of liquid nitrogen leaked at a food processing plant in Atlanta on Thursday, reported AFP.  

Officers from Gainesville, Georgia said that five people died on the spot while one out of ten people who were hurried to a hospital died in critical care. 

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At least 130 others were taken from the plant to a nearby church to be evaluated. Gainesville police said Memorial Park Drive is shut down from Browns Bridge Road to Atlanta Highway. Police are asking the public to avoid the area, reported WSB TV. 

The investigation for the cause of the leak is underway. The incident did not cause an explosion in the factory, officials said. 

The leak happened around 10 am in a factory located in Hall County in a factory owned by Prime Pak Foods, which processes poultry products, reported AFP. 

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As a preventive measure, nearby school students were restricted to their classrooms due to the chemical leak. 

Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp released a statement on Twitter that said, “Our hearts are broken hearing about the tragedy that took place at Prime Pak Foods in Gainesville this morning. Officials from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are on the ground to assist with the local response and investigations into the incident. Marty, the girls, and I ask all Georgians to join us in praying for the families facing a terrible loss and the other employees who are receiving medical care. May God be a hand of peace, comfort, and healing in the days ahead.”