A bottle possibly containing an explosive substance found in a lab at UC San Diego prompted a hazmat and bomb squad response Wednesday night before it was destroyed by investigators.
The one-liter bottle was discovered in a lab in Pacific Hall, according to UCSD spokesperson Leslie Sepuka. The building was evacuated and the university's Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) staff requested assistance from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
SDFD Battalion Chief Erik Windsor said crews were told the substance was between 10 and 20 mL of diethyl ether, which is highly volatile and "shock sensitive," meaning it could trigger an explosion when agitated.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department hazmat team, and bomb squads for the FBI and San Diego County Sheriff's Department worked together to remove the bottle from the lab. Shortly before 11 p.m., bomb squad crews blew up the bottle in a safe container.
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Investigators aren't sure where the substance came from, and it didn't appear to be left in the lab intentionally.
The incident isn't expected to impact classes or campus operations on Thursday, Windsor said.
UCSD student Liam Winstead shared pictures of the response with NBC 7. He said someone from UCSD EHS told him the bottle contained peroxide, a chemical compound, which EHS staff said is potentially hazardous.
