Seven people are struggling with respiratory distress in hospital and their homes are cordoned off after “chemical incident caused by coral poison in an aquarium”

Seven people were hospitalized last night due to a “CHEMICAL MISTAKE.” Ten homes in London also had to be evacuated.

Emergency services rushed to a building on Wren Road in Dagenham at around 10pm after frightened residents reported difficulty breathing.

Paramedics found seven people struggling to breathe and the London Ambulance Service called its Hazardous Area Response Team.

The mysterious chemical is believed to be palytoxin, a dangerous substance released by corals in an aquarium.

The first responders spoke of a hazardous materials accident, as the substance found could probably lead to breathing difficulties, chest pain and death.

The affected locals are currently receiving medical treatment, while ten houses have been cordoned off.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called at 9.46pm on 10 August to reports of an incident at a residential address in Wren Road.

“We have dispatched a number of resources including ambulance crews, an incident commander and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).”

“We responded together with colleagues from the London Fire Service.

“We treated seven patients and took them all to the hospital.”

The Metropolitan Police have been asked for comment.

A number of triggers can cause corals to release palytoxin, from heat stress to fractures.

Aquarium owners should be aware that halide lamps used for coral care can cause heat stress in corals that are not in the water, resulting in the release of palytoxin.

If small pieces of coral break off (fragmentation), this can also lead to the release of pollutants.

Meanwhile, zoantharians, a species of animal found in coral reefs, produce a mucus that releases palytoxin when it comes into contact with air.

The animals can also release the poison through a kind of mist.

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