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Up to 20 long-tailed macaques died after a heater malfunction at at Alpha Genesis, PETA whistleblowers alleged. X

The South Carolina biomedical lab that saw 43 monkeys escape earlier this month is again being criticized for allegedly killing up to 20 monkeys after a diesel heater inside the facility malfunctioned sometime Friday night, according to PETA whistleblowers.

"There were no alarms, no alerts, as 20 long-tailed macaques likely endured agonizing deaths—either slowly roasted alive or suffocated by deadly carbon dioxide fumes," PETA revealed in a statement obtained by Bluffton Today. "The images this conjures are beyond disturbing: sentient creatures, confined and helpless, betrayed by a system that prioritizes profit over basic decency or scientific competency."

The incident occurred at Alpha Genesis, a primate research and breeding facility partially funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Just last week, US Congresswoman Rep. Nancy Mace implored the USDA and NIH to look into the lab and its many violations.

"Alpha Genesis has blood on its hands again," the PETA statement continued, alleging that the primate center is a "notorious monkey dealer" guilty of "sheer negligence."

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now investigating the tragic event, per reporting by Bluffton Today.

Originally published by Latin Times