Emergency services remove large quantity of gas from London Aquatics Centre
A total of 77 people treated
Last updated 23rd Mar 2022
Emergency teams have dealt with - what's been called - a major incident, involving the release of chlorine gas at the Olympic Park's aquatics centre.
In total 29 people were taken to hospital.
Darren Farmer, London Ambulance Service Gold Commander said:
“This morning we responded to a major incident at the London Aquatic Centre in Stratford, alongside colleagues from the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police.
“We sent a significant number of resources including 13 ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, two medics in fast response cars, two incident response officers, a medical incident advisor and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).
“We also dispatched medics from London’s Air Ambulance.
“Our crews took 29 patients to hospital and assessed a further 48 patients at the scene. The majority of patients were reporting minor breathing difficulties.
“Thank you to all our teams who responded today, both at the scene and in our control room, and to our firefighter and police colleagues.”
At the time of the incident the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
“I remain in close contact with our emergency services who are dealing with a gas-related incident at the London Aquatics Centre this morning.
“A number of people are being treated by London Ambulance Service. Please avoid the area which has been cordoned off and evacuated.”
The fire service say the gas they are dealing with is chlorine.
Shortly before 7pm on Wednesday, a London Fire Brigade spokesperson said:
"We used large fans to ventilate the Aquatic Centre in #Stratford. When low chemical levels were reported on our detection equipment we handed the centre back to the building owners."
A spokesperson for Greenwich Leisure Limited, who own the centre, said:
“At approximately 10am this morning we took the decision to evacuate the London Aquatics Centre. This was due to a release of gas that occurred when the facilities management company that operates the plant room took delivery of pool chemicals.
“The emergency services were called and some of our customers have required medical treatment. We are working to support all those affected.”
"We are awaiting guidance on when the Centre will be able to reopen.”
A London Legacy Development Corporation spokesperson said it is working to ensure the park can reopen on Thursday.