Six children and four adults have been taken to hospital after being exposed to a "toxic cloud" at a swim centre in Sydney's south-west on Friday afternoon.
Emergency services said 30 people were evacuated from the Swim2Me swimming facility on Hoxton Park Road in Prestons, near Liverpool, just after 4pm.
It came after reports that a number of people were feeling unwell.
"Accidentally two products, two chemicals were mixed together, causing a toxic cloud," Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said.
"The chemicals that we understood that were mix was a hydrochloric acid and a pool chlorine."
Footage from the scene showed a number of emergency personnel at the site and men dressed in hazmat suits carrying what appeared to be a large canister.
Paramedics treated those impacted at the scene with the children and adults taken to hospitals in Fairfield, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Bankstown, according to NSW Ambulance.
A number of adults chose not to go to hospital after being assessed.
Superintendent Dewberry said these type of incidents were more common in the summer months, with emergency services offering assistance a "few times throughout the year".
"We are asking people to be really careful whether you're at work or in your home when you are working with pool chemicals.
"It's easy to have this kind of reaction ... and results causing significant health concerns."
Specialist firefighters from the hazardous materials unit ventilated the centre to reduce the toxic fumes in the air back to safe levels.
The chemicals that had been mixed together have been diluted, with the facility given the all clear and handed back to its owners.
Story by Paulina Vidal
Original story link https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-15/toxic-cloud-at-swim-2-me-prestons/102863344
