Chemical Accident Kills 1, Injures 10 at Buffalo Wild Wings

Massachusetts authorities say a Buffalo Wild Wings employee has died and at least 10 people have been hospitalized following a chemical accident at the Burlington restaurant. Officials responding Thursday night to reports of a chemical reaction in the kitchen area found a male employee suffering from nausea, WHDH reports. Burlington police say they think he inhaled fumes from a cleaning agent. The employee, whose name wasn't immediately released, was taken to a hospital where he later died. Authorities evacuated the restaurant and urged anyone who was inside at the time to get medical treatment, if needed, the AP reports. Authorities declared a Tier 1 hazmat incident.

A Buffalo Wild Wings statement says the company is "shocked and saddened" and working with the franchisee and authorities. "What we believe happened is a worker at Buffalo Wild Wings used a cleaning agent on the floor. The cleaning agent is Super 8. The chemical definition or chemical identification is sodium hypochlorite," Michael Patterson, assistant chief of the Burlington Fire Department, said Thursday night, per NBC. "Sodium hypochlorite is a high concentration of chlorine," he added. The company says the suburban Boston restaurant will remain closed until further notice.

(More Hazmat stories.)