Nine people were injured in Tàrrega on Friday after an accidental chemical reaction at the town's indoor swimming pool. The incident, which occurred around 10:50am during water treatment, involved the mixing of chlorine and hydrochloric acid, creating a toxic cloud.
Sixty users and staff were evacuated from the indoor pool and gym at the Complex Piscines, according to Mayor Rosa Maria Perelló. She stated that "due to an unfortunate human error, chlorine was mixed into the hydrochloric acid tank, which caused a chemical reaction."
Specifically, 50 litres of chlorine were mixed with 400 litres of hydrochloric acid. Six people sustained minor injuries, with three treated on site and three taken to a local health centre. The remaining three, who experienced breathing difficulties, were transported to Arnau de Vilanova Hospital in Lleida and given oxygen.
Emergency Response and Safety Measures
Gabriel Cogolludo, the territorial deputy head of the Fire Service in Lleida, explained that an "exothermic reaction occurred when chlorine was discharged into the wrong tank, which contained hydrochloric acid, generating a toxic cloud with high levels of danger." He emphasised that the priority was "the evacuation and care of the affected people" given the "hot zone with dangerous concentrations."
Eight Fire Service units, including the GRIT (Technological Incident Support Group) specialised unit, were deployed. They monitored the reaction and were initially unable to access the pool due to high gas concentrations. The facility required natural ventilation for several hours.
Protecció Civil activated the pre-alert for the Procicat plan for chemical contamination. As a preventative measure, the initial safety perimeter was extended to cover the entire sports area, which will remain closed until at least Sunday night.
