BALTIMORE — Investigators are still searching for the reason why almost a dozen employees fell ill at a poultry processing plant Sunday evening.
WATCH: Five hospitalized in warehouse hazmat incident
The Baltimore City Fire Department received word of the hazmat incident just before 5 p.m. at 2121 Wicomico street, which houses Holly Poultry, finding several were in need of assistance on the scene.
In total, first responders evaluated 10 individuals, 5 of which were taken to the hospital. Their injuries are not anticipated to be life-threatening.
BCFD Public Information Officer John Marsh reports 100 employees were working when some reported to feel symptoms associated with excess carbon dioxide inhalation, including feeling lightheaded and nausea.
Some employees who were staying on site, told WMAR-2 News off camera they witnessed co-workers appearing to have trouble breathing.
The BCFD hazmat team spent hours airing out the facility and continuing to test the C02 levels.
"What's non-typical about it, is the source. We can't find the actual source of it so that's where we're completely investigating what's going on now," Marsh said.
Baltimore Police, the Baltimore Office of Emergency Management and Maryland Department of the Environment were also on the scene.
Truckers were also prevented from hitting the roads, due to the more than a dozen emergency vehicles blocking the street.
Fire officials say no one would be allowed back inside until the source was identified and the levels of carbon dioxide returned to acceptable levels.
“It could be five minutes from now it could be a couple hours from now," Marsh said.
WMAR-2 News has reached out to Holly Poultry but have not heard back.