Seven people were affected by toxic fumes at a school in Tàrrega after an accidental mix of cleaning products, according to emergency services. The incident happened at the Shared Schooling Unit (UEC) in the Lleida town at 12.08pm.
Those affected were six underage students and one teacher. Two were taken to Arnau de Vilanova Hospital in Lleida, while five others received treatment for mild symptoms at the local health centre in Tàrrega.
Students were doing a painting activity when some material spilled. They were told to clean it up, and a chemical reaction happened when bleach was added to a bucket containing residue from another liquid product, creating a small toxic cloud. Education Councillor Emili Gilabert said it was “an incident derived from an accidental mixture”.
Five units from the Generalitat Fire Brigade, several ambulances from the Medical Emergency System (SEM), and local police attended the scene. As a precaution, the whole building was evacuated, including an adult education school that shares the premises. The evacuation focused on the toilet area, where the mixture happened, and the first floor, where the vapours concentrated.
Firefighters ventilated the building and finished their work around 1pm. People who were not affected were then allowed back in to resume classes. The last person needing medical attention was taken to Arnau de Vilanova Hospital at about 2pm.
The incident comes about a month after another accidental chemical reaction in Tàrrega. On 24 April, nine people were injured at the municipal indoor swimming pool, and about 60 people, including swimmers and gym users, were evacuated. The town council later kept the pool and the Sports Park closed for the whole weekend as a precaution. More Catalonia news