CBRN event in Australia on Thu 23rd July 2026

A bizarre hazmat incident has unfolded at an Adelaide hospital which has left almost a dozen workers sick, and one nurse in the ICU.An Adelaide hospital is dealing with a bizarre major incident after an insect repellent explosion reportedly left almost a dozen staff unwell.The incident happened at Flinders Medical Centre, one of the largest public hospitals in Adelaide about 2.30am on Thursday.Within a couple of hours, 11 staff members began feeling unwell and a dozen emergency beds were closed, following the accidental release of an “outdoor insect repellent” inside the facility, SA Health said.“All patients are safe and none have become unwell as a result of the incident,” Chief Executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing, Dr Robyn Lawrence said in an update on Thursday afternoon.“Of course the emergency department is very busy having 12 bays closed and the (Metropolitan Fire Service) MFS remains on site at the present time.”My understanding is that staff, as they do, were just going through somebody’s belongings to make sure that there’s nothing in there that was a safety risk to the patient when they were left alone, and that in doing that, the lid was knocked off the repellent and it released itself.”“My understanding is it’s an outdoor mosquito fogger type, repellent.”The explosion was caused by a citronella blast, with a nurse now in ICU with respiratory issues.The incident was the result of something brought in by a mental health patient, The Advertiser reported.