Seventeen swimmers, mostly adults, were hospitalised on Tuesday morning after complaining of respiratory ailments caused by a chlorine gas leak at a civic body-run open-air swimming pool in Pimpri Chinchwad on the outskirts of Pune in Maharashtra.

According to officials, all of them were immediately taken to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH).

“The 17 persons were admitted to our hospital this morning. They complained of breathlessness, cough, and throat irritation. Except for one 10-year-old who has been shifted to Aditya Birla hospital for treatment by a specialist, all others are in safe and stable condition,” YCMH dean Rajendra Wable told The Indian Express.

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Along with those inside the pool premises, people playing on the adjacent cricket ground and the tennis court were also evacuated.

The incident reportedly occurred around 8.30 am, with 16 individuals swimming inside the pool. “One of the security guards noticed that something was wrong with the filtration unit and smelled a chlorine gas leak. He immediately alerted other staff and asked swimmers to get out of the pool,” Additional Municipal Commissioner Vijay Kharote said.

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The pool staff informed them of people running out of the pool, coughing, and complaining of uneasiness, after which the fire brigade was alerted.

Kharote said the staff at the pool had reported that the cylinder was refilled only three weeks ago. “Prima facie, it seems the cylinder was not in good condition and looked old and rusty. We will investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate measures,” he added.

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The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has given the pool on contract to a private party. Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh visited the patients and mentioned that strict action will be taken against the guilty after an investigation.

With the help of a staff member, firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus lifted the leaking 100 kg chlorine cylinder and put it in the pool to contain the leak. Anil Dimbale, a fire officer, stated that this was done to stop the gas leakage.

Another officer, Dilip Gaikwad, mentioned that the presence of the gas could be felt in a radius of 1 kilometer since it was an open-air pool. Rushikant Chipade, a senior officer from PCMC Fire Brigade, explained that the leak was due to a puncture in the chlorine cylinder.

Inspector Bhaskar Jadhav, in-charge of Bhosari police station, stated that the police are monitoring the situation of those hospitalized.