- Emergency services rushed to a property on Wren Road in Dagenham at 10pm
A suspected chemical incident is said to have seen seven people rushed to hospital last night while ten homes in London were evacuated.
Emergency services rushed to a property on Wren Road in Dagenham at around 10pm following reports of breathing difficulties from residents.
The London Ambulance Service called in their Hazardous Area Response Team after paramedics discovered seven people struggling to breathe.
It is understood the mystery chemical is palytoxin, a dangerous substance released from coral in a fish tank.
The substance understood to have been the cause can lead to breathing difficulty, chest pain and death, with first responders declaring the ordeal a Hazmat incident.
Residents affected are now undergoing medical treatment, while 10 homes have been cordoned off.
Emergency services rushed to a property on Wren Road in Dagenham at around 10pm following reports of breathing difficulties from residents
Emergency services responding to the suspected chemical incident in Dagenham last night
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘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.’
MailOnline has contacted the Met Police for comment.
Fish owners must be aware that halide lights used to nurture coral can spark heat stress in corals that are not in water, which leads to palytoxin release.