Hazmat protocols were followed after at least 30 workers became ill at a Maine shoe factory Thursday.  - Screencapture Via WABI

Hazmat protocols were followed after at least 30 workers became ill at a Maine shoe factory Thursday. 

Screencapture Via WABI

Investigators plan further tests to determine what sent five shoe factory workers in Maine to the hospital Thursday with strange symptoms.

The workers, all employed by the New Balance shoe factory in Skowhegan, were released from the hospital Thursday.

Skowhegan Fire spokesperson Capt. Rick Caldwell said suspicion points to the chemical 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine, otherwise known as “DOC.” A psychedelic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes, it is found in the fumes given off by the glue used to put soles on shoes.

Nearly 30 workers reported symptoms Thursday that included breathing difficulty, eye irritation, burning and tingling. About 70 employees were decontaminated and given gowns to wear before leaving the factory.

Health officials have declared the factory safe to reopen.

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