A 35-year-old man suffered severe anhydrous ammonia burns to his upper body and lungs while he was unloading a semi truck with anhydrous ammonia when the liquid hose failed. Liquid NH3 doused the man’s face and entered his lungs, the Marion County ambulance director said. The man was taken by helicopter to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. The leak also affected seven horses nearby. The horses were taken to Kansas State University’s veterinary hospital in Manhattan.
A small vapor cloud was released when the line burst. Valves shut automatically to mitigate the spread. Vapor didn’t reach the highway. A helicopter arrived about an hour after the hose broke. Firefighters told helicopter attendants before their arrival that the man was in critical condition and had suffered burns to his face, eyes, lungs, mouth, and other extremities. Firefighters flushed the burns and put him on oxygen. Ice also was on standby. The man worked for a vendor partnered with the co-op.