EDMONTON – A female student was taken to hospital around 5 p.m. Wednesday after an explosion at a chemistry lab at the University of Alberta.
“My understanding is a couple of grad students were working in a lab, and I’m not sure as to what caused the event, but a series of events unfolded and there was a small explosion in the lab,” says Station Captain Brad Kitiuk, with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services. “One of the grad students got some minor injuries and she’s been taken to hospital by AHS.”
Edmonton Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the lab on the fifth floor of the Gunning/Lemieux Chemistry Centre at around 4:50 p.m. Alberta Health Services also responded, and took the woman to hospital.
“I personally didn’t deal with her. AHS arrived fairly quickly, they whisked her away pretty quickly. Fire crews tried to stabilize her.”
Kitiuk believes the student may have suffered some cuts in the explosion.
“On a relative scale it’s small. It’s serious as in they probably need to investigate what circumstances led up to the event.”
In a Twitter message, the U of A describes the incident as a “chem lab mishap. One person taken to hospital; no further danger.”
A hazmat team is on site and won’t be leaving until the scene is secured.
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