Visitors to pool become ill

A local indoor water park has suspended operations after 37 visitors reported sick.

By 11:30pm on Saturday, 19 adults and 18 children had gone to hospital suffering coughing, vomiting and sore throats after they visited the Shangyin Water Park on Zhonghuaxin Road in Jing’an District.

By Sunday morning, all were in a stable condition and had left hospital.

Related authorities in Jing’an, including the health commission, environmental authority and emergency treatment bureau, have launched an investigation. They have ruled out contamination by toxic and hazardous substances. 

The water park has promised to take responsibility and cooperate with further investigations. 

Also, it has agreed to return fees to those who bought tickets but haven’t yet visited, and offered compensation to cover medical bills. 

The park said the visitors could have stayed inside the water park for too long. The stagnant air in confined spaces might have led to high levels of carbon dioxide.

A further investigation is under way.

According to Xinhua Hospital, doctors treated more than 20 visitors who said they became unwell after smelling unpleasant odors.

Medical tests showed they were not poisoned and were not at risk.

One of the visitors, surnamed Chu, told local media she was sitting on a chair watching her son swim when he started to cough severely, and told her that he wanted to vomit.

When she removed her son from the pool she also smelt a strong odor she suspected was bleaching powder.