LUBOCC, Texas (AP) — An explosion inside the maintenance hall at Lubbock’s Texas Tech campus caused a fire and blackout, causing school officials to issue evacuation orders for the rest of the week and cancel classes.
The explosion occurred Wednesday evening in the engineering key section of campus, causing evacuation.
“After hearing the explosion, I saw a circle of smoke that is almost like cartoons or something,” PhD student Robert Gustry III told KCBD-TV. “It traveled about 200 feet in the air.”
Gauthreaux said he had entered the building. He said he and others tried to help someone trapped inside the elevator.
Caitlyn Jeffries, a spokesman for the university’s police department, said power had been closed throughout campus while repairs were underway. She asked all public and informal staff to avoid campus.
“We can go ahead and go home. Jeffries said in a news media briefing:
Firefighters responded to the campus around 7pm and there was a possibility of a gas leak, Lubbock Fire and Rescue Commander John Tunnel said at a briefing. They “discovered that multiple manholes produce active fire and smoke issued by them,” he said.
No injuries have been reported, Tunnel said.
Before the press conference, he explained that the explosion was occurring at the substation as a warning from the university was sent to the campus community.
Videos circulating on social media and on television stations showed a large number of firefighters on campus, with fire and smoke coming out of at least one maintenance hole cover.
It was not clear what caused the explosion.
Texas Tech has over 40,000 students and West Texas has a school on 1,800 acres (728 hectares).
Source link
