By Khalida Sarwari
A hazardous materials spill at a Monterey hotel this morning sent 17 people to the hospital and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of guests, a city spokeswoman said.
At about 9:15 a.m., the Monterey Fire Department received a call reporting a hazardous materials incident in the basement of the Portola Hotel, located at 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey city spokeswoman Anne McGrath said.
The spill occurred in the laundry room, where employees were working. Sixteen employees and one guest were taken to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. One has since been released.
McGrath said about 30 people reported experiencing respiratory problems.
All 210 guests were evacuated, along with employees at the adjacent Monterey Conference Center. No conferences were in progress at the time.
The hotel is expected to reopen around 3 p.m.
As of 12:45 p.m., the county hazardous materials team was working to isolate and contain the spill, McGrath said.
McGrath said it appears the spill occurred when some chemicals, one of which has been identified as chlorine gas, came into contact with one another. The incident remains under investigation.
