Jul 19 - 60 people sickened in chemical incident at Texas water park boxden.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from boxden.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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(SPRING, TX.) A chemical spill at a water park in Texas sent dozens of people to the hospital, according to officials.
The incident began around 2:30 p.m. in a children’s pool at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring, Texas, when a lifeguard and several guests started to get sick, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo told reporters.
Children and their parents were experiencing “respiratory issues,” and 28 of them were transported to hospitals, the Harris County Fire Marshal’s office said.
After evacuating the park and conducting preliminary tests of the air and water, investigators found the water had a chemical combination of 35% sulfuric acid and 10-13% bleach, Scott Seifert, the chief of Spring Texas Fire, told reporters. The chemicals are commonly used to clean and treat swimming pools.
Dozens Treated After Chemical Leak at Texas Water Park claimsjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from claimsjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
HazMat crews and fire officials quickly responded to the scene and began treating and decontaminating patients
The park will remain closed while an investigation is conducted and and safety protocols are reviewed
Officials said 26 people were transported by an ambulance bus to a local hospital while 39 people refused hospital treatment
The patients suffered respiratory distress like difficulty breathing but crews didn t see any patients with chemical burns
However, he acknowledged it is possible for patients to have experienced burning sensations in their skin depending on the amount of chemical
Harris County Fire Marshall Laurie Christensen said her office will determine if the Splashtown is safe to reopen in a few days
KION
By Andy Rose, CNN
Around 65 people were sickened Saturday afternoon at a Houston-area water park in what local officials called a chemical incident.
“In the area around the kiddie pool in this water park, a lifeguard was sick, and soon after that, more and more people began becoming sick,” Harris County Judge Lina Hildalgo said in a news conference outside Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring, Texas.
“What began as a fun family day has turned into very much a nightmare for many families,” she said.
Public health officials are ordering the park to remain closed until they determine exactly what happened.