MD80 EXPERIENCED INFLT SMOKE FROM AC SYSTEM. DIVERTS FOR EMER LNDG.

Narrative

AT APPROX XA50 A DEAD HEADING CAPT MOTIONED TO ME TO ASK ME IF I SMELLED THE ODOR THAT WAS IN THE CABIN. HE DESCRIBED IT AS SMELLING LIKE CHLORINE. I THOUGHT IT SMELLED MORE LIKE AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. I SAID YES AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTACT THE COCKPIT; IDENTIFY HIMSELF; AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I ALSO WAS EXPERIENCING A BURNING SENSATION IN MY EYES. PRACTICALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY; SEVERAL PAX RANG THEIR CALL LIGHTS TO RPT THE ODOR; AND BY THIS TIME; WE HAD WHITE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THE CABIN LIGHTS WERE OFF AT THE TIME AND SMOKE APPEARED TO BE COMING OUT IN STREAMS FROM THE AIR VENTS ABOVE THE PAX SEATS. WHEN THE DEAD HEADING CAPT CONTACTED THE COCKPIT; THEY RESPONDED FIRST BY TURNING OFF THE AC PACKS; ONE AT A TIME. I THEN CHKED THE AFT LAVS FOR ANY SIGNS OF SMOKE OR FIRE AND FOUND NONE. I ALSO WALKED FORWARD FEELING FOR HEAT; BUT FOUND NONE. I PROCEEDED TO THE FWD ENTRY AREA AND TURNED OFF THE POWER PORTS. DEAD HEADING CAPT ALSO CAME FORWARD AND PULLED ALL THE GALLEY CB IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. MANY PAX AT THIS TIME RPTED THE ODOR; SMOKE AND A BURNING SENSATION IN THEIR EYES. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE AWARE OF THE PROB AND HAD ALREADY RPTED IT TO THE PLTS. NO ONE THAT I WAS AWARE OF AT THIS TIME COMPLAINED OF DIFFICULTY BREATHING. THE SMOKE STARTED TO SUBSIDE ONCE BOTH PACKS WERE TURNED OFF; BUT THE ODOR; FUMES; AND SMOKE STILL LINGERED. IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE WOULD MAKE AN EMER LNDG IN ZZZ1 AND WOULD BE MET BY EMER PERSONNEL. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO A GATE WHERE EMT; AND FIRE AND RESCUE TEAMS AWAITED OUR ARR. I WAS THE #2 AND WAS THE LAST PERSON BESIDES THE COCKPIT TO DEPLANE; AND WHEN I ENTERED THE CONCOURSE; THERE WERE SEVERAL PAX ON OXYGEN. A FEW HAD BEEN SEEN FOR IRRITATED EYES; AND ONE PAX HAD A SEVERE DIABETIC REACTION LATER ON. IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE WOULD OVERNIGHT AND THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS.