Nine hospitalised after chemical incident at Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Centre

Nine people have been taken to hospital and 200 evacuated following a chemical incident yesterday at the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Melbourne’s north.

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) were called to the facility about on Friday evening after people reported the smell of gas inside the Centre.

On arrival, firefighters found multiple people affected by the chemicals with an FRV spokesperson confirmed to NewsWire that nine people were taken to hospital for treatment following the incident.

About 200 people were evacuated from the Hume City Council facility while FRV hazmat specialists ventilated the premises.

A positive reading for sodium hydrogen sulphate was found by the hazmat specialists.

FRV confirmed the Centre to be safe to re-enter two hours later.

A Hume City Council spokeswoman said the incident was sparked by the occurrence of a chemical reaction during routine pool maintenance on Friday evening.

The spokeswoman said the nine people taken to hospital had been in contact with the council, and “we understand they are all doing well”.

Authorities have since confirmed eight of the nine people hospitalised were children.

The spokeswoman added "following a thorough assessment by WorkSafe immediately after the incident, it was confirmed the facility was safe to reopen Saturday morning."

Reports indicate that an internal review has been launched to confirm the incident’s cause.

Commenting on the response to the incident, the spokeswoman went on to say "we thank our staff and emergency services for their swift and professional response and thank the community for their understanding and support."

Images show the exterior and main pool at the Broadmeadows Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Credit: Hume City Council.