By Jenna Wise, Patriot-News

Two people fell into a tank of chocolate while completing maintenance work at the Mars/M&M factory in Lancaster County, Pa., and now federal workplace safety officials are investigating.

The fall into a partially filled chocolate vat happened around 1:51 p.m. at the Mars facility on the 200 block of Brown Street in Elizabethtown, authorities said.

Federal labor officials confirmed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident. OSHA has six months to investigate and submit its findings, according to a U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson.

The workers who fell into the tank are employed by the Manheim-based I.K. Stolzfus Services, the Labor spokesperson said.

According to its website, I.K. Stolzfus Services specializes in “professional industrial cleaning, water tank repair, cleaning & painting, abrasive and sandblasting services.”

Firefighters rushed to the Mars factory Thursday afternoon and rescued the workers by drilling a hole in the bottom of the tank and pulling them out, according to the Elizabethtown Fire Department.

I.K. Stolzfus declined to comment and directed any questions to a Mars Wrigley spokesperson. Mars did not provide an update on the workers’ conditions. Elizabethtown police also directed questions to Mars.

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