37 made sick by chlorine at Phuket
Some 37 guests and workers at a hotel in Phuket were rushed to hospital yesterday after being made sick by chemicals wrongly used to chlorinate a swimming pool.
Of the affected people, 11 were Thais and 26 were tourists from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. One was a pregnant woman. They were sent to Patong Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Siriroj Hospital and Vachira Phuket Hospital.
The incident occurred at Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa after workers mixed chemicals to clean the pool. Chlorine normally used by the workers had run out, so they used chlorine tablets instead.
The mixture of chemicals created high pressure in a container, which broke. The reaction caused smoke and a strong smell of chlorine. Those nearby experienced problems with their breathing and felt pain on their skin.
A manager of the hotel said later no one was seriously injured, and that all the tourists affected had returned to the hotel.
