Police have questioned two of the three detained employees of the Polonez swimming pool in Warsaw's Targówek district, where a mass chlorine poisoning occurred on Friday. The third man is scheduled to be interrogated on Sunday. The others have already returned home.
The police said on Saturday that the material in this case would be forwarded to the prosecutor's office, which would decide on further directions of the proceedings, adding that it was still too early to give the reasons for the incident. The arrest of three employees of the swimming pool was connected with the fact that they had a direct connection with the swimming pool infrastructure. Two of the three men have already been questioned, with the third scheduled for Sunday.
Yellow water in the pool, 21 people in hospital
On Friday evening, the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Warsaw announced that 21 people with symptoms of chlorine poisoning were taken to the hospital from the “Polonez” swimming pool on Łabiszyńska Street in the capital city of Targówek. According to their report, the water in the pool suddenly turned yellow. Most of the people under observation have already left the hospital.
On Saturday, OSiR Targówek, which owns the swimming pool, also issued a statement on the matter, stating that a failure had occurred there. “OSiR Targówek lifeguards immediately took all actions provided for in procedures to provide assistance and ensure the safety of people using the swimming pool,” the center reported.
On the other hand District authorities at a conference devoted to the situation at the swimming pool indicated that it is not yet known what caused the failure.
On Friday, police, emergency medical teams, and fire brigades arrived at the scene, assuring that the local residents were not in danger because no chlorine was detected in the air. Firefighters also took water samples for testing.
Chlorine level significantly exceeded
The chlorine level in the pool water was significantly exceeded: at the bottom it was more than ten times the norm – 8.03 mg/l (norm 0.3-0.7), and at the water surface it was more than three times the norm – the chlorine content was 2.41 mg/l (norm (0.3-0.7)).
After chlorine poisoning, the respiratory tract and digestive system are irritated, and often the skin is burned. People with chronic lung and bronchial diseases are particularly susceptible to chlorine poisoning – it can even lead to pulmonary edema and breathing disorders, which are life-threatening.
Main image source: TVN24