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University campus evacuated after gas leak

May 29, 2013 - 22:51 By 이다영
A gas leak at a Seoul university Wednesday caused for more than 2,000 people to be evacuated, according to police investigators.  No casualties were reported.

The leak was reported just past 4:20 p.m. at Sejong University in eastern Seoul, investigators said.

About 1.5 kilograms of liquid boron tribromide, known as BBr3, had leaked in the form of a gas after being exposed to air during an experiment with solar panels in a laboratory, they said. BBr3 is colorless but has a pungent odor and can cause pneumonia and other lung-related illnesses. It can cause death if a person is not exposed to a sufficient amount of oxygen after inhalation.

Three people were inside the lab at the time of the accident, but they safely fled after taking all  emergency measures, and the university alerted everyone in the building to evacuate, investigators said. A 30-meter radius of the lab building has been cordoned off, and cleanup is under way, they said. (Yonhap News)