Dozens of vacationers at a hotel in Costa del Sol have been hospitalized due to toxic gas exposure. Approximately 60 individuals required medical treatment as a result of a gas leak stemming from a malfunction in the swimming pool pump. Additional guests received medical care at the hotel located in Benahavis near Marbella.
An investigation is currently underway following the incident. A regional government official disclosed to local media that a circuit breaker issue occurred in the pressure pump responsible for injecting chlorine and acid into the pool, causing a system failure. Consequently, the chlorine and PH systems ceased functioning while other gases continued to be emitted.
Among those affected were children and elderly guests, including visitors from the UK, who were transferred to Marbella’s Costa del Sol Hospital as reported by the Malaga-based paper Sur. Subsequently, the pool was cordoned off and closed for maintenance purposes. Although it was shut down the previous day, it remained uncertain whether it would reopen today.
A Polish tourist at the hotel mentioned, “All I heard was that there were problems with the water, but I don’t know what happened.” Staff from a public health and clinical laboratory located in Malaga TechPark were observed conducting tests. Apart from swimming pool and drinking water assessments, the facility specializes in testing for E.coli and Salmonella in foods.
In a similar incident in July 2022, over 20 individuals, including children, were poisoned by a chlorine leak at a hotel in Majorca. Symptoms reported by affected individuals included vomiting, skin irritation, and itching, with health workers administering oxygen to some victims in the hotel’s garden area.
The occurrence of pool-related poisonings is linked to improper chlorine concentrations and pH levels, leading to the production of toxic substances causing eye irritation, respiratory issues, and gastrointestinal disorders.
In August 2024, a dozen individuals were hospitalized due to gases emanating from the swimming pool storeroom area of a hotel in Menorca. Emergency services, including ambulances, police, firefighters, and paramedics, swiftly responded to the incident at the Royal Son Bou Family Club Hotel. The incident was attributed to human error, with a gas cloud forming after hydrochloric acid was mistakenly poured into a chlorine tank during a delivery.
This underscores the importance of adhering to proper safety protocols in pool maintenance to prevent such hazardous incidents from occurring.