Five Hospitalized After Factory Store Evacuated in Maine

Five people were hospitalized after a report of chemical exposure at a factory store in Skowhegan that led to the building’s evacuation on Thursday.

The exposure led to the evacuation of the New Balance Factory Store, the Morning Sentinel reported. More than two dozen employees inside the store were experiencing symptoms such as trouble breathing and eye irritation, the paper reported.

The five people who were hospitalized were taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital for treatment. Officials had not determined the nature of the chemical that caused the symptoms on Thursday afternoon.

The evacuation of the building drew a large response to the scene from local emergency services departments.