Dozens of tourists in a Costa del Sol hotel were taken to hospital after being poisoned by toxic gases, according to “The Mirror”.
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Due to a gas leak caused by a malfunction of the pool pump, at least 60 people required hospital treatment, while others received medical assistance at the hotel itself (whose name is not specified), located in Benahavis, near Marbella.
An investigation into the incident was conducted today. A regional government spokesperson told the local press that it appeared a safety switch in the pump supplying chlorine and acid to the pool had activated, causing the system to stop working.
According to him, this malfunction stopped the operation of the chlorine and pH regulation systems, but other gases continued to be released. As reported by the Malaga-based newspaper “Sur”, children and elderly people, including tourists from the United Kingdom, were taken to Marbella’s Costa del Sol Hospital.
The pool was later cordoned off and closed “for maintenance work”. It was closed yesterday, but it was not immediately clear this morning whether it would reopen today.
“I only heard that there were problems with the water, but I don’t know exactly what happened,” said a Polish tourist staying at the hotel. Employees of the public health and clinical laboratory of “Malaga TechPark” (located about 45 minutes from Marbella) were observed conducting investigations. This company not only tests pool and drinking water but also specializes in checking food products for E. coli and Salmonella bacteria.
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In July 2022, more than 20 people, including children, were poisoned after a large chlorine leak occurred at a hotel in Mallorca. This incident took place at the “Sea Club” hotel in the Alcudia resort.
Reportedly, a number of tourists experienced symptoms such as vomiting, skin irritation, and itching. For some of the affected, medical personnel provided oxygen in the hotel garden. Pool-related poisonings occur when chlorine concentration and pH levels are not properly maintained. This leads to the formation of toxic substances that cause eye irritation, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal ailments.
Additionally, in August 2024, a dozen people were hospitalized due to gases emanating from a pool equipment storage room at a hotel in Menorca.
Following the incident, seven ambulances, police, firefighters, and medics rushed to the four-star “Royal Son Bou Family Club” hotel. Hotel staff prevented approximately 400 guests from returning to their rooms for nearly four hours while more than a dozen staff members were urgently taken to the hospital’s emergency room.
The incident is believed to have been caused by human error: a cloud of gas formed after hydrochloric acid was poured into one of the chlorine tanks in the pool’s technical room (this occurred during a truck delivery).
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