TGIF!

So I'm usually done with classes at noon on Fridays. However, this week we had an assignment due, so I stayed a little later to finish it off and hand it in. Afterwards, I walked over to the Uni gym to drop a yoga class I had registered for. On the way there, I passed by the RSC (Research Chemistry building) where there were flashing lights from firetrucks.

I remember back in the days of New College at UofT where we'd have fire alarms going off at 4 in the morning, so I figured it was nothing, and continued towards the gym. But after heading back that way (after dropping the class), I could smell the smoke. Smoke from a chemistry building is not a good thing. I was with my friend, and he wanted to get a closer look at all the action, and started walking straight for the building. Instead, I steered us to get us out of the smoke (we were down-wind), and we took a perimeter of the building.

At first we just saw people with construction hats and lab coats (I guess the designated fire wardens) who were directing people away from the building. But once we got around to see the main entrance of the building, we had way better insight to what was going on. The building was smoking! Like grey smoke, and from the whole length of the building. It did not look good. I was afraid the building might explode or something -- there's lots of weird chemicals in there!

We ran into this guy who was working in the building just across from the RSC. He had been evacuated from his office. He told us that there had been an explosion and fire in the chemistry building. Even two of the windows had been blown out - those windows are bigger than I am!

TGIF! b/c my class has lectures in that building on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and people are usually milling about just outside of the building between breaks. Thankfully the explosion occurred during lunch time, and not many people were in the building. They say that no one was injured in the event. Thank God!

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=414229&category=General+News&m=8&y=2005