ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Hundreds of people were temporarily emptied out of a downtown St. John's hotel Friday afternoon after a chlorine gas leak in the facility's pool area, officials said.
About seven people were taken to hospital, including children from the pool, said Capt. Ron Pomeroy with the St. John's Regional Fire Department.
He said the people were sent to hospital for "just minor things … a little bit nauseated, maybe itchy throat, watery eyes, that sort of thing." He added that he was mostly involved in operations inside the hotel.
The leak didn't pose a "huge danger," and officials are still investigating exactly how it happened, he said.
Though the leak occurred in the pool area, the sharp smell quickly spread throughout the hotel, he said. His crew evacuated the hotel and then went into the building with gas detectors and masks to locate the problem, he said. Then they ventilated the building to ensure it was safe for everyone to return.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it first got word of a potential gas leak at the hotel at about 2:30 p.m. Officers helped fire and medical crews, and then directed traffic around the large crowd of evacuated guests, Const. James Cadigan said in an interview.
Officials sent guests to a nearby church and the convention centre across the street, said Heather McKinnon, the hotel's general manager. By about 4:30 p.m., the fire department had declared the building safe, and the guests returned.
She said the problem was detected quickly by a staff member who was in the pool area testing chemicals. He was sent to hospital “for a precautionary check,” she said, adding that the gas levels were "minimal."
"I just feel bad for the guests and the dancers," MacKinnon said in an interview, referring to a dancing competition for youth taking place at the hotel over the weekend.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2023.
The Canadian Press
