Seven people have been rushed to hospital after a “chemical incident”.

Emergency services flooded Wren Road in Dagenham last night (August 11) at around 10pm, as people were evacuated from their homes following reports of people struggling to breathe.

The London Ambulance Service called their Hazardous Area Response Team as a chemical known as palytoxin was reportedly sparked the issue.

Palytoxin is released from coral in a fish tank and can lead to breathing problems and possible death.

Responders in hazmat suits were at the scene while homes in the area were cordoned off.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.46pm on 10 August to reports of an incident at a residential address on Wren Road.

“We sent a number of resources including ambulance crews, an incident response officer and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).'

“We responded alongside colleagues from London Fire Brigade.

“We treated seven patients and took them all to hospital.”