Seven people rushed to hospital struggling to breathe after chemical incident involving fish tank in London

Emergency services attended a property on Wren Road, in Dagenham at around 10pm after residents reported difficulty breathing.

Paramedics found seven people in the first property struggling to breathe, with the London Ambulance Service calling in their Hazardous Area Response Team, who deal with chemical and gas leaks which could be dangerous to people.

After conducting tests, it was discovered that the chemical believed to have caused the incident is palytoxin, a dangerous substance released from coral in a fish tank.

Victims of palytoxin poisoning can experience chest pains, shortness of breath and even death if it is left exposed and untreated.

First responders had to attend the incident wearing hazmat suits, whilst the seven people in the home were transported to a local hospital to receive medical treatment. 10 homes in the area have also been evacuated for safety reasons.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson told The Sun: “We were called at 9.46pm on 10 August to reports of an incident at a residential address on Wren Road.

“We sent a number of resources including ambulance crews, an incident response officer and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

“We responded alongside colleagues from London Fire Brigade. We treated seven patients and took them all to hospital.”

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "Police were called to a residential property on Wren Road, Dagenham at about 10pm on Saturday, August 11 following reports of a chemical incident.

"Police, LAS and LFB attended. Seven people were treated at the scene and taken to hospital after being exposed to a chemical substance. They sustained minor respiratory issues.

"Officers assisted with road closures at the scene. These were reopened shortly before midnight."

What is palytoxin?

Palytoxin is a dangerous substance released from coral. Fish tank owners should be aware of the signs as a number of things can cause the deadly chemical to be released from heat stress to breakage.

Symptoms of palytoxin poisoning include flu-like symptoms, skin rashes, blurred vision, vomiting, diarrhoea, cardiac muscle damage and even cardiac arrest.