Two pest controllers have died in a suspected chemical incident at the Banham chicken factory in Attleborough, Norfolk.
The industrial incident is linked to reports of a suspected chemical spill that has halted train services in the area, say police.
Both men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were found close to the Banham Poultry factory just after 1am on Thursday.
Detectives said the pair found dead were both subcontractors working on the site from a pest control company.
The factory is now in lock-down and local train services have been halted following reports of a suspected chemical spill at the site.
The jobs of more than 1,000 workers are at risk at the plant, it emerged earlier this week.
Fire crews and environmental protection units remained at the scene later Thursday morning, while police and ambulance workers make the area safe.
A police spokesperson said: "An investigation is underway after two men died in an industrial incident in Attleborough.
"Police were called to Banham Poultry, Station Road, at about 1.10am on Thursday, following reports two subcontractors working on the site from a pest control company had been found deceased.
"Two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were found close to the factory. No one else was injured.
"Next-of-kin have been made aware and Family Liaision Officers will be offering support."
Detective Chief Inspector Stu Chapman said: "On behalf of Norfolk Police and other emergency services, I offer my condolences to the friends and families of the men killed in this incident and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
"Colleagues from Norfolk Fire Service continue to make the scene safe so that detailed investigations can begin between police, fire, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to understand the circumstances which lead to the men’s deaths."
Mirror Online has contacted Banham Poultry for comment.
A police cordon remained in place on Thursday.
Harvey Barker, from nearby Travis Perkins, said: "You can’t really see anything but there’s a police car parked to side of train track.
"There’s police there trying to keep people away from the track."
A spokesperson for Greater Anglia said they awaiting further instruction from police and apologise for any disruption as a result of trains not calling at the local station.
Banham Poultry is the largest employer in the area, employing around 1,000 workers directly and responsible for a further 2,000 in the supply chain.
On Tuesday, Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman claimed on Twitter that the company was close to appointing administrators from Ernst and Young.
He wrote: "Just heard that Mid Norfolk’s biggest employer Banham Poultry has gone into administration by Ernst & Young @EYnews risking massive animal welfare emergency & redundancies."
He later corrected the tweet to say: "Correction. I understand not in administration but Lloyd’s bank pushing in that direction if a buyer cannot be secured. At least two bids on the table: one would see Banham remain in Attleborough, the other not."
Banham Poultry chief executive Martyn Bromley said the company was not in administration, but confirmed it was seeking a buyer.
The firm is a long-established Norfolk family business which can trace its history back more than 40 years.
The company produces its own chicks, hatches chicks and then rears chickens all the way through to slaughter.
Many of the company’s employees are also long-standing, with many having worked there for decades.
The company supplies chickens to major supermarkets and other stores and wholesalers through the UK.
At the Norfolk Farming Conference in February, the company said it had gone past the milestone of processing one million chickens a week, and was on track to turn over £130m in the financial year.
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