At least 15 people were rushed to hospitals after a “potential chemical exposure incident” at an Iowa prison Wednesday, authorities said.
The Newton Fire Department and Jasper County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Newton Correctional Facility around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday after reports of a chemical exposure, WHO13 reported.
“Emergency protocols were activated today at Newton Correctional Facility following a potential chemical exposure incident on-site,” Iowa Department of Corrections Chief of Staff Paul Cornelius said in a statement to the outlet.
As many as 15 people were sent to four hospitals across central Iowa, a Newton fire official told KCCI— but the total number remains unclear as of Wednesday evening.
The patients’ condition is also unclear — and it is not immediately known if the 15 people sickened were inmates or employees of the prison.
“The cause and nature of the exposure are actively being investigated,” Cornelius said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the area has been secured, and relevant safety and emergency response procedures were implemented immediately.”
Officials from UnityPoint Health said four people were transported to a hospital in Grinnell and four others were taken to Iowa Methodist in Des Moines with non-life-threatening injuries, according to KCCI.
Meanwhile, nine additional patients were transported to medical facilities between Des Moines and Newton, a MercyOne spokesperson told the outlet.
Cornelius added that any further updates would be provided “as verified information becomes available.”
Newton Correctional Facility, composed of a maximum-security and medium-security facility, sits on around 1,500 acres of land several miles south of Newton.
The facility holds roughly 1,000 inmates.
The Iowa DOC did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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