Holidaymakers at a hotel in Costa del Sol have been taken to hospital after a pump problem in their swimming pool resulted in toxic gas poisoning.
At least 60 tourists received medical attention after the leak in an unnamed hotel in Benahavis, near Marbella.
According to Malaga-based paper Sur, children and elderly people were included among the affected guests as well as people from the UK.
A regional government official told the outlet it appeared the circuit breaker on the pressure pump that injects chlorine and acid into the pool tripped.
This led to a failure, with the PH and chlorine systems stopping working while other gases continued to leak.
The pool was reportedly sealed off for ‘maintenance reasons’ yesterday, with staff from a public health laboratory seen running tests.
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Based in the Malaga TechPark, around 45 minutes from Marbella, the firm conducts swimming pool and drinking water analysis, but also specialises in testing foods for E.coli and Salmonella.
Pool-related poisonings occur when chlorine concentrations and the pH are not kept at the proper levels.
That leads to the formation of toxic substances that cause eye irritation, respiratory problems and gastrointestinal disorders.
The news comes days after a five-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after another pool chlorine poisoning in Rome.
Seven children under the age of 10 were among the 20 holidaymakers who suffered from intense burning in the eyes and throat, coughing and shortness of breath.
Fifty people were evacuated with firefighters and police attending the scene around 3.30pm, with the sports club temporarily closed.
In 2022, a major chlorine leak at a hotel in Majorca left more than 20 people, including children, poisoned.
The Sea Club Hotel in the resort of Alcudia saw guests suffering severe symptoms such as vomiting, skin irritation and more.
Oxygen was administered to some guests at the scene by health care professionals.
In West London two years ago, nine children and two adults were rushed to hospital after a leak in Sudbury.
A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson said its crews ‘carried out a sweep of the building where a chlorine leak was found in a learner pool on the ground floor of the three-storey building.’
A hazardous area response team was also sent but around 150 people had already left the building before the arrival of the brigade.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the leisure centre had been ‘evacuated as a precaution’ and roads had been closed.
The Vale Farm Sports Centre on Watford Road, Wembley, reopened shortly after but the pool remained shut at the time.
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