Ten children and an adult have been hospitalised following an “excess chlorine incident” at the swimming pool of a Dublin hotel.
The incident happened at a swimming pool at the Clayton Hotel Liffey Valley in Clondalkin, Dublin 22, shortly after 3.30pm on Thursday afternoon.
A total of 23 people who were using the pool at the time were medically assessed after complaining of feeling unwell.
Ten children and one adult were taken to hospital and are receiving medical care.
The swimming pool was closed after the incident.
In a statement, Dalata Hotel Group, owner of Clayton Hotel Liffey Valley, said emergency services were immediately notified after the “excess chlorine incident”.
“A thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this incident will take place as soon as possible,” they told the Irish Independent.
“Our immediate thoughts are with those impacted and their families. We are doing everything in our power to support them and the emergency services.
“Out of respect for those impacted and their relatives, we will not be commenting further at this time.”
Gardaí and emergency services, including National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade units from Tallaght, Dolphin’s Barn, Donnybrook and Dún Laoghaire fire stations arrived at the scene on Thursday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the Dublin Fire Brigade said they were called before 4pm to reports of a “hazardous materials incident”.
Firefighters and paramedics in breathing apparatus and chemical protection suits have isolated the hazardous substance, they said.
“There is no danger to the wider public and we expect the incident to be scaled back shortly,” the fire brigade said in a statement.
“Operations are continuing at the moment,” they added.
Specialist hamzat units were present at the scene and a decontamination zone has been set up.
Gardaí said they are assisting with an incident at a business premises in the Liffey Valley area in Dublin 22.
“As An Garda Síochána is not the leading agency in this incident at this time, no further information is available at this time,” they said in a statement.