Olympic Park: Major gas leak incident at London Aquatics Centre - BBC News
Almost 80 people suffer breathing problems at the Olympic Park in Stratford, with 29 taken to hospital.
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Twenty-nine people were taken to hospital with breathing problems and a major incident was declared following a gas leak at the London Aquatics Centre.

About 200 people were evacuated from the venue at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, on Wednesday after a large amount of chlorine gas was released.

Almost 50 people were treated by paramedics for breathing difficulties.

People could be seen being placed in ambulances while others wore blankets.

Residents in the area were asked to close windows and doors.

About 200 people were evacuated from the London Aquatics Centre

The London Aquatics Centre was one of the main venues for the London Olympic Games in 2012, and was used for swimming, diving and synchronised swimming. It opened to the public in 2014.

Surrounding roads were also cordoned off once the alarm was raised and members of the public were denied access to the park.

The London Fire Brigade said the gas leak had been caused by a chemical reaction, causing a "high quantity of chlorine gas" to be released.

Homerton Hospital in east London said it had admitted 12 adults and seven children with respiratory problems, while nearby Newham Hospital and The Royal London Hospital also said they were treating patients.

There are thousands of homes in and around the former Olympics site, including several high-rise developments.

Local resident Usman Hussain lives in the 28th floor of a nearby block with his baby. He told BBC London: "It's quite scary and we are quite concerned."

The London Fire Brigade said "positive pressure ventilation fans" would be used to disperse chlorine gas into the atmosphere.

Commander Shaun Coltress said: "We've not taken that decision lightly, we've got our scientific adviser and our hazardous materials adviser on scene."

Local people should keep their doors and windows closed for the "next few hours", he added, but stressed people living nearby should not be worried.

"We've got the right people here, we're used to responding to chemical incidents, we've taken the right advice, we've got the right cordons in place."

The centre is operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which said the release of gas occurred when "the facilities management company that operates the plant room took delivery of pool chemicals".

"We are working to support all those affected," it said.

London Ambulance Service said it was attending a major incident in Stratford

"We are awaiting guidance from the facilities management company, London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and the emergency services on when the centre will be able to reopen."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "Please avoid the area which has been cordoned off and evacuated.

"I remain in close contact with our emergency services who are dealing with a gas-related incident at the London Aquatics Centre this morning," he added.

London Ambulance Service said it had sent a number of resources

It looks and feels like a major incident - emergency service resources are huge and there is a cordon in place.

There are lots of fire engines and ambulance personnel I can see, and it looks like they've created a makeshift centre to treat those with medical problems.

I am standing about 800m away from the Aquatics Centre, but I have been able to speak with one woman who was there this morning.

She was there for a morning swim and there was quite a few people there with children. They were told there was an issue with chlorine and they had to be evacuated quickly.

As they were leaving, she could see some people struggling to breathe, but she said the evacuation was efficient and emergency services were quick on scene to help.

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