Chemical Spill Closes Science Center

A chemical spill closed the Science Center at 7 a.m. Thursday morning, according to Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesperson Robert P. Mitchell. The building was evacuated by the Harvard University Police Department while the incident is being investigated.

Mitchell said that the incident was not a gas leak and they do not yet have information on the source of the chemical spill. No injuries related to this incident were reported.

For the time being, all classes, lectures, and labs in the Science Center are canceled.

Outside of the Science Center, a number of witnesses said that they had not been told when the building would be reopened.

“I teach at 1 [p.m.],” said Samit Dasgupta, an assistant professor of mathematics, who co-teaches Mathematics 21b: " Linear Algebra and Differential Equations." “I don’t know if class is canceled all day.”

As people waited outside in the warm weather for news about the building, many students were turned away at the door.

Kyle G. Chen ’10 said he did not receive an e-mail informing him that his section scheduled for 10 a.m. had been canceled.

“I was kind of happy,” he said. “I can sleep now.”

—Charles J. Wells contributed to the reporting for this story.



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