Workers Escaped Nitrogen Leak at Georgia Plant That Killed 6 by Going Through Deadly Fog

Survivors of the nitrogen leak at a Georgia poultry plant this week are describing their dangerous escape.

The incident occurred at the Foundation Food Group poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Georgia, on Thursday, PEOPLE previously reported, and resulted in the death of six employees. Another dozen were hospitalized.

The Hall County Sheriff's Office released the identities of the workers who died on Friday. The victims ranged in age from 28 to 45.

Those who died include Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera, 45; Corey Alan Murphy, 35; Nelly Perez-Rafael, 28; Saulo Suarez-Bernal, 41; Victor Vellez, 38; and Edgar Vera-Garcia, 28, ABC News reported Friday.

RELATED: 6 People Dead, 12 Hospitalized in Georgia Following Liquid Nitrogen Leak at Poultry Plant

The Hall County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Jameel Fareed, an employee at the plant, told Atlanta news station WSB-TV that he had to walk through a cloud of liquid nitrogen when evacuating the building with 130 other workers.

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"First we just thought there was something wrong with the freezer, then they started saying get out," he told the outlet. "I just saw the fog and when I couldn't see down the steps, I turned around. But I didn't feel anything."

Another anonymous worker told WSB-TV that employees were rushing out of the plant.

"It was kind of quick. Everybody was pushing everybody," they said.

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On Thursday, Foundation Food Group's vice president of human resources, Nicholas Ancrum, said in a statement obtained by the New York Times that "every team member is equally important to us and our hearts go out to their families and communities who have suffered such a devastating loss."

"Foundation Food Group takes workplace safety very seriously, and works constantly to adopt and implement the most effective safety programs available to the industry," Ancrum said in the statement. "Until this investigation is completed, we cannot say with confidence precisely how this accident occurred."

The cause of the leak has not yet been determined.

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