Built east of the British capital for the 2012 Olympics, the London aquatics center had to be evacuated on Wednesday March 23 following a giant chlorine gas leak. 200 people were sheltered and, among them, 29 were hospitalized.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. local GMT, in this establishment which has two swimming pools as well as a gymnastics club and a crèche. According to the manager, a “gas release” was observed during the delivery of chemical products intended for the maintenance of swimming pools.
There has been an incident @AquaticsCentre this morning involving the release of a gas. The area has been cordoned off and evacuated. We’re working with emergency services on site. There are a number of casualties with breathing difficulties being treated by @Ldn_Ambulance.
— Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (@noordinarypark) March 23, 2022
This leak caused a massive mobilization of relief: 13 ambulances were deployed on site, in addition to specialized teams. Rescuers said they had transported “29 patients to the hospital and examined 48 other patients on the spot”. Most of them “suffered from minor breathing difficulties”.
According to the firefighters, a “significant quantity of chlorine gas” was released into the air following a “chemical reaction”. The premises had to be ventilated, so the inhabitants of the neighborhood were instructed to close their windows until the end of the intervention. At the same time, the town hall had asked the emergency services to cordon off the area, advising its citizens to avoid the district.
On Twitter, the Olympic Park in London thanked the emergency services for their “rapid action”, specifying that the London aquatics center would remain closed this Thursday, March 24, the day after the incident.