Two Massachusetts children sustained burn-like injuries Sunday after playing on playground slides doused with acid.
Three playground slides on the grounds of Bliss Park Playground in Longmeadow had been doused with what authorities determined was muriatic acid, according to a Longmeadow Fire Department press release. Officers determined that as-yet-unidentified individuals had broken into the pump room in the basement of the pool building on the grounds of the park and apparently stolen the pool chemical and poured it on the slides, the press release stated. (RELATED: ‘Liquid Chemicals’ And A Dead Woman Sparks Major Hazmat Response In NYC: Police)
Sunday morning, June 11, an unknown hazardous material was found on the Bliss Park playground structure. The State Police Hazmat Team, Longmeadow Police, Fire and DPW, are investigating. Bliss playground will be closed until further notice. There is no threat to the public. pic.twitter.com/aSXOjhOCex
— Town of Longmeadow (@LongmeadowMA) June 11, 2023
The release also noted that the pool chemicals had been securely stored and could not have been accessed without great effort and potential risk of burns to the perpetrators.
Authorities recovered evidence from the site for forensic analysis, and officers are calling on the public for information concerning the incident, according to the release. Cleaning of the playground has been completed, but the playground remains fenced off, The Associated Press reported.