INDIAN ISLAND (AP) – A chemical reaction caused by a liquid dish detergent reacting with an aluminum pot was to blame for sending seven people to the hospital, officials said.

A kitchen worker suffered burns after placing a leaking five-gallon container of dish detergent into a pot, officials said Monday.

The potassium hydroxide in the detergent reacted with aluminum in the pot, bubbling over and producing harmful vapors, said Lt. Matt Redding of the Old Town Fire Department.

Four others at the health center along with the cook and two emergency workers were treated at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The Ruth Attean Health Center, also known as the Indian Island Health Center, was evacuated after the incident late Monday morning. The building houses a food pantry, kitchen, day care, counseling center and medical clinic.

A doctor performing facial surgery on the opposite end of the building was forced to stitch up the wound and evacuate with the patient, Indian Island Fire Lt. Joey Loring said. All told, about 50 people were evacuated.