Seventeen injured in a swimming pool in La Bisbal del Penedès due to a chemical reaction

BarcelonaA reaction caused by the erroneous mixing of chemicals at the municipal pool of La Bisbal del Penedès has left seventeen people injured, four of whom are in serious condition. The rest of the injured are all minor, according to the SEM. Initially, the possibility of sending an ES-Alert for the confinement of the population in the face of a toxic cloud was considered, a measure that was ultimately discarded once it was confirmed that there were no effects outside the pool.

The acting mayor, Judit Vidal, detailed to the ACN that the alert was received around two in the afternoon, after a user reported the strong smell of chlorine at the pool. Vidal explained that the company in charge of managing the pool was immediately called, and it "confirmed the error". "The person responsible for filling the chlorine tanks made an incorrect mixture," detailed the acting mayor.

The facilities, where there were between twenty and twenty-five bathers, most of them out of the water, were immediately evacuated, which prevented more serious consequences. No one suffered burns or significant injuries. Some people experienced respiratory difficulties and were transferred to hospitals "as a precaution". They are five adults and five minors — seven men and three women—. The rest, four men and three women, one of whom is a minor, were discharged at the scene and returned home.

Following the instructions of the Firefighters and the Operational Coordination Center of Catalonia (CECAT), the City Council issued an alert to the population due to the presence of the toxic cloud, recommending closing doors and windows, not going outside except in cases of strict necessity, and not approaching the municipal pool. First, it was requested that this measure be adopted for about four hours by residents closest to the pool, but then the recommendation was extended to the entire town of La Bisbal del Penedès, as the wind was displacing the cloud in that direction.

Finally, sending an ES-Alert to confine the entire municipality was ruled out. According to Vidal, the CECAT itself considered it unnecessary because the impact was concentrated in a very specific area. The council also informed the population through municipal social networks and asked anyone with discomfort to contact 112. So far, no other affected individuals outside the pool have been reported.

Regarding the evolution of the incident, the Firefighters are working on cleaning the tanks and neutralizing the chemical product with a specific compound provided by the managing company. The tasks will last approximately two hours. Although the toxic cloud has already dissipated and the smell has practically disappeared, emergency services have maintained the preventive confinement of the area to facilitate decontamination tasks. The pool is located in a sunken area of the municipality, where there could still be a high concentration of gas. "It is a precautionary measure so that the emergency teams can work with peace of mind," pointed out Judit Vidal.

This is the first time an incident of this nature has occurred at the pool in La Bisbal del Penedès. The City Council expects the responsible company to adopt the appropriate measures after the error that originated the incident.