Three students die in blast at Beijing university laboratory
- Fire services investigating cause of explosion at Beijing Jiaotong University
- Students were carrying out sewage treatment experiments at time of fatal blast
Three students have been killed in an explosion in a laboratory at Beijing Jiaotong University, the capital’s fire services said.
The incident happened at around 9.30am on Wednesday when the students, from the urban planning and environmental engineering department, were carrying out sewage treatment experiments in a laboratory building on the east campus, the fire services said in a statement.
“The incident caused the death of three students who participated in the experiment,” the statement said.
The cause of the incident was not immediately known and the authorities were investigating.
Video footage circulating online showed the building was engulfed in dark smoke while flames were also visible.
Eight fire crews and 30 fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze.