Building evacuated due to chemical spill at Aarhus University

The article was updated on Tuesday, March 25, with the latest status on the incident from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering.

Police, paramedics, and firefighters were present in large numbers at one of Aarhus University's buildings in the Katrinebjerg area around noon on Monday. The response was due to a chemical spill in building 5250, which belongs to the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering. This was confirmed on X by East Jutland Police, who received the report at 11.52.

"We are present at Aarhus University at Hangøvej 2, where we are investigating a possible chemical spill in a room. All persons have left the room and are now being attended to. At this point, no one is seriously injured," the police wrote on X shortly after receiving the report. 

The police cordoned off Helsingforsvej and Jens Baggesens Vej, and similarly, only one lane was passable on Vestre Ringgade between Paludan-Müllers Vej and Langelandsgade. At 14:00 on Monday afternoon, East Jutland Police informed X that they were clearing the scene. The police further reported in a news update, that that the cause was a mix of chemicals during class.

Occurred during a chemistry course

At noon on Monday, Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, Head of Department at the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, said that an unpleasant odour was detected in the laboratory during a chemistry course on Hangøvej. This prompted the lecturer to raise the alarm, after which the building was evacuated. It is not yet known what caused the odour to develop. 

On Monday afternoon, the department's management sent an email to its students and staff, describing the course of events in more detail:

"The spill occurred when two chemicals were mixed, producing a gas that spread a foul odour, despite the reaction taking place in a fume cupboard. The lecturer ensured the students left the room, and the police, fire brigade, and ambulances were quickly called to the scene".

The management further states:

"The lecturer became unwell and was checked by medical staff on site. He is ok and back home now. Other employees and students who were in the room have been registered. At this point, there are no reports of anyone else feeling unwell. Both staff and students acted quickly in the situation and followed the contingency plan".

Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen says that the institute is currently investigating how the spill occurred.

According to the press office of the Faculty of Technical Sciences, to which the department belongs, the lecturer involved was hospitalised but has since returned home and has been in contact with the students who witnessed the incident.

Institute: Experiment protocol was followed

On Tuesday morning, the institute’s occupational health and safety team held a debriefing for the students who were present in the laboratory. According to the institute, all students are doing well. The head of the department, Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, stated in an email to Omnibus that during the debriefing, it was revealed that it was not the lecturer, but two students, who, under the lecturer's supervision, mixed the two chemicals that caused the reaction. The department head further stated, “the experiment was carried out in accordance with the procedure outlined in the protocol” and that it was performed in a fume cupboard. Therefore, the institute will begin investigating on Tuesday why the experiment went wrong.

The chemicals used have now been destroyed, and damage service has cleaned the laboratory, which will be ready for use again on Tuesday.

East Jutland Police stated in a news update that students who were in the room should contact emergency medical services if they start feeling unwell.

Monday afternoon, Aarhus University issued a news update about the incident.

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Cecillia Jensen.