Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’

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Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’
PHUKET: Dozens of tourists and resort workers were rushed to hospital this morning after a mix of pool cleaning agents “exploded” into a cloud of gas beside a pool at a Phuket resort.

Staff at the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that the cloud of gas was formed by a mix of chlorine and other cleaning agents rapidly expanding in a tank beside the pool.

“It was not a bomb,” said one resort worker.

Officials have confirmed that at least 10 Thais and 26 foreigners were rushed to Patong Hospital for immediate treatment.

As all of those affected have suffered chlorine inhalation, they have been transferred to Phuket International Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town for further treatment.

One father on holiday with his family from Norway told the Gazette that the major symptoms suffered by those affected included coughing and difficulty in breathing, sore throats and headaches.

“I heard about three or four ‘explosions’. There were about 100 people around the pool,” he said.

Staff at Vachira Hospital confirmed to the Gazette that four Thais – two males and two females – arrived at the hospital at 12:30pm.

“They are under observation and being administered oxygen to help them breathe,” the hospital staffer said.

Many of the people affected were sent to Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

A hospital worker in the Emergency section told the Gazette, “At this stage we do not know exactly how many of those affected have been sent to us. Right now we are just trying to help them as quickly as possible as they arrive.

“The most seriously affected is a pregnant woman. She is being administered oxygen,” he said.

One worker at the resort told the Gazette that the mix of chemicals was purely an accident.

“He has been maintaining pools for 20 years. Today, he just did something wrong. It was just an accident,” he said.


Källa: Phuket Gazette



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Chlorine gas guests return safely to Phuket resort

PHUKET: All the guests affected by the chlorine gas cloud at the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon this morning have safely returned to the resort, it was announced at a press conference this afternoon.

“Every single person taken to hospital has returned to the resort. Not a single person has checked out. They are all okay,” said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“This is not about a bomb at all, and the resort will cover all medical expenses incurred from today’s incident,” he said.

The tourists released from hospital include the 30-week-pregnant woman treated for breathing difficulty at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

“However, she will need to return for a medical checkup by a registered pediatrician,” Dr Kanin Keeratipongpaiboon of Patong Hospital told the Phuket Gazette.

Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Boonlert Onklang clearly confirmed the nature of the incident.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” he said.

Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanukul went on to explain that the incident was caused by the powered form of chlorine – not the liquid form – being added to a mixing tank used to clean the pool water at the resort.

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident.

“The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

Paisarn Choomphol, human resources officer at the resort, told the Gazette that the incident was caused by pool technician Piyapat Nawee adding the wrong mix of chlorine.

“He has been working with us for 18 years. This morning he saw the chlorine level was getting low, so he wanted to add some more. The problem was that he is supposed to add liquid chlorine, but there was no liquid chlorine left. So he added powdered chlorine directly to the tank.

“That caused a chemical reaction,” he said.

Nannaphat Namboon, front desk manager at the resort, said, “Nobody has checked out and everything is back to normal. The guests seem happy and people are back swimming in the pool.”

Källa: Phuket Gazette



Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Boonlert Onklang points to the pump room
where the chlorine gas cloud originated. 'It was not a bomb,' he said.
Photo: Atchaa Khamlo