(Newser)
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At least 80 people, most of them children, were hospitalized after being overcome by chemical fumes at a public pool in Indianapolis. Investigators say a toxic out-of-balance mix of chemicals was pumped into the pool, creating chlorine gas, reports the Indianapolis Star. The gas wasn't as lethal as the stuff armies used on each other in World War I, but it was enough to irritate eyes and lungs, and cause vomiting.
Swimmers and emergency responders described scenes of mayhem as scores of people suddenly began coughing and vomiting. Most of the people hospitalized were released after a few hours, but some were kept overnight for observation. A fire department spokesman says the source of the problem appears to have been improper use of a cleaning chemical called Acid Magic, but they were unable to confirm that with the pool's operator because he was among the people being treated.
