Several pupils at the Royal Athenaeum in Woluwé-Saint-Lambert were taken to hospital on Tuesday after being exposed to chlorine fumes in the school's swimming pool. None of the pupils are in critical condition.
The Brussels Fire Brigade was called to the school in the late morning at around 11:25 because several pupils who found themselves in the swimming pool of the school on Avenue Jacques Brel were complaining of respiratory irritation.
"We went to the scene with five ambulances, three mosquito teams, and our Hazmat team," said spokesperson Walter Derieuw. After a first analysis, 14 students were examined at the scene, of whom eight were taken to hospital for mild intoxication.
Later, Derieuw confirmed that a total of 16 pupils had been taken to hospital but that their situation was not serious. In a later update, this figure rose to 19 children, who were evacuated to five hospitals. At around 15:00, Derieuw confirmed they all left the hospital as their condition had improved.
The origin of the chlorine fumes was an accidental mixture of two chemicals. These mixed products are being removed by a specialist private firm and the school has been thoroughly ventilated.
