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Ammonia Seeps Into O2
Up to 30 workers at The O2 were treated for minor injuries after ammonia reportedly leaked from the ice rink plant through an air vent.
A press statement from venue owners AEG Europe, issued a day after the October 29 incident, said the building was immediately evacuated once the ammonia gas leak became evident and some members of staff were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
"They are all out of hospital now and The O2 is open today as normal. We’d like to thank our staff who responded to the incident in an exemplary way – working with the London Fire Brigade, Met Police and Ambulance service to ensure the safety of everyone in the building," the press note continued.
A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade told BBC News that 30 workers at the new Greenwich venue – formerly the Millennium Dome – were treated for minor injuries.
U.K. tabloid Daily Express reported that the workers complained of "runny noses, itchy eyes and discomfort." Most of them were believed to have been dismantling stage equipment at the time the leak was discovered.
Within hours of receiving an 8:30 p.m. call-out, which had also gone to the police and the London Ambulance Service, the fire brigade confirmed that the gas supply had been isolated and the affected area had been "declared safe" after being monitored by specialist equipment.