Authorities on Friday released the cause of death for the six workers killed in a nitrogen leak at a Gainesville poultry processing plant.

They died of asphyxiation caused by exposure to the frigid chemical at Foundation Foods Inc. on Jan. 28, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. The autopsies were conducted by the GBI. No further information was released.

The plant uses nitrogen to flash-freeze. An issue with one of the freezer’s led to the leak, which is under investigation by various federal and state agencies. Nitrogen can cause the oxygen in the air around it to decrease.

About a dozen people were injured and taken to a hospital, and 130 people were evacuated.

Killed in the incident were Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera, 45, of Gainesville; Corey Alan Murphy, 35, of Clermont; Nelly Perez-Rafael, 28, of Gainesville; Saulo Suarez-Bernal, 41, of Dawsonville; Victor Vellez, 38, of Gainesville; and Edgar Vera-Garcia, 28, of Gainesville.

About the Author

Keep Reading

(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty, File)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com