iStock/Thinkstock (DURHAM, N.C.) — Six children are in serious condition after a hypochlorite leak at a YMCA swimming pool in Durham, North Carolina.
The leak, which occurred at approximately 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the Downtown Durham YMCA, affected 37 children ages 6 to 12 years old, as well as two adults, according to Durham County Emergency Management.
The patients were taken to Duke University Hospital and to Duke Regional Hospital for treatment, Durham County Emergency Management said.
Hypochlorite is a chemical used in the maintenance of swimming pools.
“Earlier this [Wendesday] afternoon, a lifeguard at our Downtown Durham YMCA reported a strong chemical odor near the pool pump room,” the YMCA said in a statement, according to local ABC station WTVD. “YMCA staff immediately contacted EMS. They, in turn contacted the Durham Fire Department who determined that this was a HAZMAT situation.”
The pool has been closed, Durham County Emergency Management said.
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