A rookie worker was blamed after chlorine gas on Wednesday affected eight people, including four children and the worker, at a swimming pool in Kaohsiung’s Sanmin District (三民), reports said.
Management at the pool complex, identified as Changchintsun (長青村) by the Chinese-language United Daily News, called emergency services at about 9am after the vapor made people sick.
Firefighters and emergency medical services evacuated 55 people from the building, including eight who were rushed to hospitals, the report said.
Their conditions were reported as stable, although two adults and two children were still under observation yesterday.
Firefighters and officials on site said the vapor was chlorine gas, which reacts with water to form hydrochloric acid and can affect the eyes and lungs, according to the report.
A worker surnamed Lin (林), hired less than a month ago, reportedly mixed sulfuric acid and bleach when cleaning the pool, triggering the chemical reaction that created the gas, officials said.
“It seems that Lin did not know what he was doing,” a firefighter said. “He was the first to be affected. Fortunately, there was not a lot of liquid involved and the gas quickly dissipated.”
If Lin is found to be responsible, he would face charges of causing injury through professional negligence, police said, adding that they would speak with those affected to see if they want to press charges.
Changchintsun manager Chen Yi-fang (陳怡芳) said the company had insurance and would take responsibility for the incident.
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