icon Add as a preferred source Download PDF version
Summary is AI-generated, newsdesk-reviewed
  • Over 70 people evacuated due to toxic chemical spill in Sydney building.
  • FRNSW HAZMAT teams neutralize chlorine and hydrochloric acid mix at Camperdown.
  • Two workers exposed to fumes, hospitalized; SafeWork NSW notified.

More than 70 people have been evacuated as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews work to contain toxic chemicals at an apartment building in Sydney's inner west.

Emergency services were called around 11:15 am to the complex on Parramatta Road, Camperdown, where chlorine had reportedly been mixed with hydrochloric acid in a plant room used for an in-ground swimming pool.

FRNSW currently has 10 firefighters on-scene, the majority of whom specialize in hazardous materials (HAZMAT) responses.

Protective HAZMAT suits

Wearing protective HAZMAT suits and breathing apparatus, the crews are neutralizing the chemicals by decanting them into the pool water.

Two workers are thought to have breathed in fumes from the chemical reaction at the site. They have been removed from the building, assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics, and transported to the hospital. NSW Police are also on-scene, and SafeWork NSW has been notified of the incident.

In case you missed it

WAGNER's Fire Protection Solutions At BUILDINX 2025
WAGNER's Fire Protection Solutions At BUILDINX 2025

WAGNER Group GmbH will be presenting pioneering solutions for fire protection in modern logistics properties at BUILDINX 2025 in Dortmund from November 18 to 20, 2025. The foc...

Spare A Minute For Maintenance
Spare A Minute For Maintenance

With new fire safety regulations around the corner and a renewed focus on responsible persons and coordination, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK discusses the significance of fire door h...

Fire-Dex Unveils Fire Investigation PPE For Safety
Fire-Dex Unveils Fire Investigation PPE For Safety

Fire investigators have long worked in a gray area of protection where full structural turnouts are overkill, but single-layer garments may not cover every single hazard they encou...

vfd