Seven people were hospitalized after a chemical incident at the HASA Inc. manufacturing plant in Saugus, California.

Nine additional people were treated at the scene for their injuries, according to Los Angeles County Fire Officials, who were called at approximately 5:30 a.m.

According to Assistant Chief Fernando Flores in the Emergency Operations Section of L.A. County Fire’s Fire Prevention Bureau’s Health Hazardous Materials Division, which responded to the incident, HASA employees called 911 after a transport line leaked about 40 gallons of muriatic acid in the facility’s secondary containment unit.

Officials said it seemed likely that there was some other chemical (possibly chlorine) already on the ground when the hose leaked the muriatic acid.

“There must have been something else in that secondary containment area, where it mixed and it offgassed,” Flores said. “And that’s what we don’t know, is what type of other product was already on the ground there in the secondary containment berm where the muriatic acid mixed with another chemical.”

Flores said he was unaware of the condition of the HASA employees who might have been affected by the spill.

He said he was told one person who was near the leak when the spill occurred was transferred to the hospital before his team arrived. He said that others who went to see what happened were treated for chest irritation and coughing.

Photo Credit: Hasa.com