Dozens of vacationers staying at a hotel in Costa del Sol were hospitalized due to toxic gas exposure. Approximately 60 individuals required medical attention following a pump malfunction at the hotel’s swimming pool in Benahavis near Marbella. The incident led to an investigation to determine the cause of the gas leak.
According to a regional government official, the issue stemmed from a circuit breaker malfunction on the pressure pump responsible for distributing chlorine and acid into the pool, resulting in a system failure. Consequently, the chlorine and PH systems ceased functioning while other gases continued to be released. Children, elderly guests, and visitors from the UK were among those transported to Marbella’s Costa del Sol Hospital for treatment.
Following the incident, the pool was closed for maintenance purposes, with uncertainty about its reopening. A Polish tourist at the hotel mentioned hearing about water issues but was unaware of the specifics. Health experts from a public health and clinical laboratory located in Malaga TechPark conducted tests at the site, specializing in water and food analysis for contaminants like E.coli and Salmonella.
In a separate hotel incident in Majorca in July 2022, over 20 individuals, including children, were poisoned by a chlorine leak at the Sea Club Hotel in Alcudia. Symptoms reported included vomiting, skin irritation, and itching, with affected individuals receiving oxygen treatment in the hotel’s garden area.
Pool-related poisonings often result from improper chlorine levels and pH maintenance, leading to the formation of harmful substances causing eye irritation, respiratory issues, and gastrointestinal problems.
