Two people are taken to hospital after horror chemical explosion at a factory in Sydney
- Four people have been treated for watery eyes and throat burns on Central Coast
- Authorities were called to Somersby about 10am Monday for chemical exposure
- NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman said staff were undertaking normal procedure
Four people have been treated for chemical exposure after being evacuated from a swimming pool and spa supply store.
Authorities rushed to the Somersby premises near the NSW Central Coast about 10am Monday, with initial reports suggesting 40 people had been exposed.
The staff were undertaking normal procedure which involved combining chemicals ‘sodium dichlor and sodium methosulphate’ at the Pile Road business when the fumes became overpowering.
NSW Ambulance confirmed the 10 people were treated for watery eyes and throat burns (stock image)
Ten people were evacuated from the business and four were treated on the scene for watery eyes, throat irritation and coughing.
Two of the ten people were rushed to Gosford Hospital for further treatment.
A NSW Fire and Rescue spokeswoman told AAP: ‘At this stage it is believed nothing unusual was taking place.’
The fumes caused fire sprinklers to activate, alerting NSW Fire and Rescue.
Four ambulance trucks, two fire trucks and two hazmat trucks all responded to the incident.
NSW Ambulance duty operations manager Greg Wiggins said treating chemical exposure can be difficult for paramedics.
‘The issue with chemical exposure is you have no idea what you are dealing with before arriving at the scene,’ Insp Wiggins said in a statement.
‘Often, it is scary for us as we have the potential to be exposed to the same chemical.
‘Paramedics moved quickly to get through the crowd and assess as many people as they could.’