The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the state's criminal investigation agency, said Wednesday it is looking into allegations against an Erwin plastics factory where several workers died and some went missing after they were swept away by floodwaters from Hurricane Helene. Relatives of the missing and deceased workers and factory employees who survived have alleged they were made to show up to work despite the hurricane moving through the area. Fernando Ruiz, the son of Lidia Verdugo, one of the plant workers, also confirmed to NBC News that his mother had died. Impact Plastics has expressed sympathy for the missing and deceased workers but said in a statement that workers were given time to leave the factory. The company said five workers and a contractor were on a truck that was tipped over in the floodwaters.

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Persons: Hurricane Helene, Steve Finney, Leslie Earhart, Finney, Robbie Jarvis, Jarvis, Brianna Paciorka, Network Bertha Mendoza, Guillermo Mendoza, Fernando Ruiz, Lidia Verdugo Organizations: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Erwin, Judicial, Impact Plastics, NBC News, Attorney General's, NBC, Plastics, Impact Plastics Inc, Sentinel, USA, Network Locations: Hurricane, Erwin, Tenn