YMCA

7 Kids Taken to Hospital After Hazmat Exposure at Cape Cod YMCA

Fire officials said the children were exposed to muriatic acid fumes at the Barnstable YMCA on Iyannough Road

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Seven kids were taken to the hospital after they were exposed to hazardous fumes at a Cape Cod YMCA on Friday, according to fire officials.

The children were exposed to muriatic acid fumes after a hazardous materials spill at the Barnstable YMCA on Iyannough Road, fire officials said. They were having trouble breathing and were taken to the hospital to be evaluated. Their conditions were not immediately clear.

"I believe it was from muriatic acid...I think it's for either cleaning or pool-related items. I'm not clear myself on the process for how it was being used I believe that's what the police detectives are going to figure out next," Chief Francis Pulsifer of the Barnstable Fire Department explained.

The children were at the YMCA to swim, though it's not clear if they were actually in the pool when they were exposed.

The building has since been cleared and it is safe to go back inside, officials said. The YMCA is closed until further notice.

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