First the coughing, continuous and widespread. Then the evacuation. 28 children were slightly intoxicated after inhaling some stinging vapors inside the Jacarandà swimming pools in via Procaccini 69 (Corso Sempione area) on the morning of Tuesday 7 May.
It all happened shortly after 11am, at the end of the activity while the children of the Giocomotiva school in via Sardegna were in the water, accompanied by the teachers (and parents who were watching from the window). The firefighters immediately arrived on site. In particular the personnel of the Nbcr (nuclear biological chemical radiological) unit of the Milan command. The firefighters are carrying out clean-up works to also identify the causes of the poisoning. It is not excluded that the stinging vapors were caused by chlorine, but investigations into the case are underway.
It all happened shortly after 11am, at the end of the activity while the children of the Giocomotiva school in via Sardegna were in the water, accompanied by the teachers (and parents who were watching from the window). The firefighters immediately arrived on site. In particular the personnel of the Nbcr (nuclear biological chemical radiological) unit of the Milan command. The firefighters are carrying out clean-up works to also identify the causes of the poisoning. It is not excluded that the stinging vapors were caused by chlorine, but investigations into the case are underway. The stinging substance, however, appears to have been spread by the air duct and would have occurred during a maintenance operation in the mixing tank of the system.
The children, all between 3 and 5 years old, showed burning eyes, cough and nausea and were transferred to a triage area set up by the Red Cross and firefighters. Ambulances and automatic vehicles from the regional emergency emergency agency (AREU) were also on site. Three children and an instructor were taken to hospital; two children were transported under yellow code to Fatebenefratelli, one under green code to Buzzi. The adult, who remained inside the facility to coordinate the evacuation of the facility, was transported to Niguarda.
All the children were recovered by their parents, who were called by the school to the triage set up outside the swimming pool. All asymptomatic children will go home independently with their dads and moms; in case of problems they will have to call the Niguarda poison control center.
A similar event occurred in February 2022 in the swimming pools of the Assago Forum, in which case a chlorine leak had made the air unbreathable. 40 people had been evacuated, 26 of them showed symptoms of intoxication.
