Nine people were taken to hospital and 200 evacuated following a chemical incident at a public pool in Melbourne’s north.
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) were called to the Broadmeadows Leisure Centre about 6.15pm on Friday night after people reported the smell of gas inside the centre.
Firefighters found multiple people affected by the chemicals upon arrival.
A FRV spokesperson confirmed to NewsWire that nine people were taken to hospital for treatment following the incident.
About 200 people were evacuated from the leisure centre while FRV hazmat specialists ventilated the premises.
A positive reading for sodium hydrogen sulphate was found by the hazmat specialists.
The centre was confirmed to be safe to re-enter two hours later by FRV.
A Hume City Council spokeswoman said the incident was sparked by the occurrence of a chemical reaction during routine pool maintenance on Friday evening.
The spokeswoman said the nine people taken to hospital had been in contact with the council, and “we understand they are all doing well”.
Authorities have since confirmed eight of the nine people hospitalised were children.
“Following a thorough assessment by WorkSafe immediately after the incident, it was confirmed the facility was safe to reopen Saturday morning,” the spokeswoman said.
An internal review has been launched to confirm the incident’s cause, and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“We thank our staff and emergency services for their swift and professional response and thank the community for their understanding and support,” the spokeswoman said.
Sodium hydrogen sulphate, also known as sodium bisulphate, can be used to adjust pH levels in water.