Bad Salzungen (dpa/th) - After the fire in the swimming pool of a rehabilitation clinic in Bad Salzungen, around 200 patients had to leave the facility on Tuesday night because of the danger of chlorine gas. After a pump burned in the technical room of the swimming pool for reasons that have not yet been clarified, there was a risk of chlorine gas escaping, as a clinic spokesman said on Tuesday.
25 of the patients were taken to hospitals due to their health condition. The others were temporarily accommodated in nearby hotels as a precautionary measure.
According to the fire department, the fire was quickly extinguished. Measurements at the end of the extinguishing work showed that "only a little chlorine gas" had escaped, as a police spokeswoman said. Accordingly, the clinic was released again at around 1.15 a.m. in the night. The Suhl police department is now investigating the cause of the fire. According to the clinic spokesman, all patients have been safe and sound in the house since Tuesday morning.
