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More than 60 tourists poisoned by hotel pool in Málaga after chemical system failure
Children and elderly guests were among those treated at a Benahavís hotel and the Costa del Sol Hospital after a pump malfunction released harmful gases into the water
A Sunday afternoon by the pool turned into a medical emergency for more than 60 tourists at a hotel in Benahavís, in the province of Málaga, after a failure in the swimming pool's water treatment system caused the release of harmful gases and left guests suffering from vomiting, dizziness and general malaise.The incident is being investigated, but the cause appears to be a tripped circuit breaker that knocked out the pressure pump responsible for injecting chlorine and maintaining the correct pH levels in the pool water. With those systems offline, other gases continued to be released into the water, leading to the poisoning of a significant number of guests. The Territorial Delegation of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Andalusian Regional Government confirmed that the chlorine and pH systems stopped working as a result of the electrical failure.
Emergency services were called to the hotel after multiple guests reported symptoms, and medical teams treated a number of those affected on site. Around 60 people, including children and elderly guests, were transferred to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella, where they were treated and subsequently discharged. None are reported to have required hospitalisation.
Among those caught up in the incident were tourists of several nationalities, including British, Portuguese, French, German and Ukrainian guests, as well as Spanish holidaymakers. "All I heard was that there were problems with the water, but I don't know what happened," said one young Polish tourist staying at the hotel.
Following the incident, the pool was sealed off. Guests who arrived on Monday were told by reception that it would be closed all day for maintenance, a detail that prompted some frustration. "Maintenance is usually done in winter, not in summer, in the middle of peak tourist season," one guest pointed out.
The hotel declined to comment on the incident. The hospital also declined to provide information.
Pool poisonings of this kind typically occur when chlorine levels and pH drop below required thresholds, allowing toxic substances to form in the water that can cause eye and mucous membrane irritation, respiratory problems or gastrointestinal symptoms.
Some of those affected are understood to be considering filing a formal complaint against the hotel.
Image: Mariakray/pixabay
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