Birling Gap evacuated after suspected chemical leak

A shipwreck could be to blame for a chemical cloud along the East Sussex coast last weekend according to the coastguard.

150 people were treated for for stinging eyes, sore throats and vomiting after the noxious haze reached the shore from Eastbourne to Birling Gap, near Beachy Head.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was examining whether the emissions came from discharges from a vessel, unreported lost cargo or known shipwrecks.

It said it has identified about 180 vessels that passed through the English Channel off the coast of Eastbourne on Sunday August 27 and its investigations are continuing.

MPs are calling for an urgent investigation into the cause of the chemical haze which left 150 people in Sussex needing hospital treatment. Beaches were evacuated from Birling Gap to Bexhill-on-Sea after holidaymakers suffered streaming eyes, sore throats and vomiting. But two days on, the source of the pollution is still unknown.

The investigation continues into what caused a gas cloud to affect hundreds of people on the Sussex coast. The fire service has released a statement:

150 people have been treated at hospital after they were affected by an unknown gas cloud that hit the Sussex Coast yesterday.

People's eyes and throats were irritated after a "haze" came in from the sea from Birling Gap between Eastbourne and Seaford. Beachy Head was evacuated and investigations are underway to find out what caused it.

Here's what one young eyewitness who was with his family had to say.

Anyone suffering the effects of a gas cloud which affected the East Sussex Coast yesterday are advised by Public Health England to irrigate their eyes if they are irritated and to wash all over with plenty of soap and water, which will be sufficient to decontaminate their bodies.

If you were affected and after taking the precautions recommended you still feel ill, contact 111 for advice and only visit your local A&E if you are still suffering significant effects.

People living along the coast were advised to remain indoors with windows and doors shut. However, the vast majority of the gas appears to have dissipated.

Around 150 people sought medical treatment and hundreds more are believed to have been affected by an unknown gas cloud that hit the East Sussex coast on Sunday.

The first reports of a 'haze' coming in from the sea were received from Birling Gap, between Eastbourne and Seaford, just before 5pm. People's eyes and throats were irritated as the plume of gas moved eastwards along the coast as far as Bexhill.

The last reports were received some three hours after the first, but long queues built up at Eastbourne General District Hospital well into the evening, with approximately 150 people being treated. However, the effects were mostly minor and it was not necessary to admit anyone for further treatment.

Initially, patients were dealt with as a precaution with a full decontamination treatment, but it became clear that this was not necessary following clinical advice.

While the nature of the gas hasn't been established, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has advised that it is 'extremely unlikely' that it was chlorine, as was being suggested on social media. The effects, while uncomfortable, were not serious and an investigation is now under way by a number of agencies working in partnership to establish the source of the gas.

It is believed that it came in from the sea, but this has not been confirmed and work continues to locate the cause.

The situation will continue to be monitored, but police believed that this was an isolated incident and is not expected to recur.

A 'haze' that is causing discomfort for people along the coast from Eastbourne to Birling Gap has prompted emergency services to warn people to stay away from the beaches and to keep doors and windows closed if living near the coast.

A 'haze' that is causing discomfort for people along the coast from Eastbourne to Birling Gap has prompted emergency services to warn people to stay away from the beaches and to keep doors and windows closed if living near the coast.

The first report came from Birling Gap just before 5pm on Sunday (August 27) where up to 50 people had been affected by irritation to eyes and throats.

This seems to have been caused by an unknown haze coming in from the sea, but the source has not yet been established. Emergency services are treating people at Birling Gap and clearing the area.

People living along the coast in the area have been advised to keep doors and windows shut and to move away from the Birling Gap area in particular.

Lots of people have been tweeting about their experience of the gas, even from miles away: