One worker died and another was hospitalized after both men lost consciousness at the Archer Daniels Midland ethanol plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Co-workers reportedly found the two unconscious victims in the facility’s corn wet mill area, where the corn is fermented, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, January 2, 2013.
One of the workers, a 50-year-old man, was pronounced dead at a Cedar Rapids hospital.
The other worker, a 46-year-old man, was reportedly being treated at another hospital.
Radio Iowa reported the surviving victim was listed in stable condition.
A statement issued by the Cedar Rapids Fire Department reportedly said the “oxygen-deficient environment” where the men were working may have caused them to lose consciousness.
The incident remained under investigation.
