3 people overcome by fumes from burst pipe at Detroit factory

DETROIT (WJBK) - A burst chemical pipe at a Detroit factory caused a HAZMAT situation Monday.

Three people including two Detroit police officers were rushed to the hospital because of fumes.

"We were scared, we got dressed and we were ready to go," said Charmaine Ford. "Especially when we saw it was a HAZMAT 2 situation."

At about 9 a.m. Monday there was an explosion at Intrastate Distributors right across the street from Ford's house on Exeter Street near State Fair on Detroit's east side.

"It's a distribution company, so you have dry products that come in and then transfer those products from one location to another location," said Lt. Clarence Watts, Detroit Fire Department.

One of those products is Towne Club Soda. The burst pipe caused ammonia to leak at high levels and employees were evacuated.

Two Detroit policers and a 57-year-old male employee taken to an area hospital due to fumes.

"There wasn't enough chemical to lead to an immediate evacuation of the area," Watts said.

Charmaine and her sons not taking any chances, staying indoors.

At times emergency crews dealing with the hazmat situation were forced to take breaks in the extreme heat. The leak was contained late morning and Intrastate Distributors remained closed for the day. The company declined to talk to FOX 2 about the incident.

A fire official told FOX 2 the people who were hospitalized are okay.

Meanwhile, authorities are working to determine the cause of the explosion and the ammonia leak.