The first details about the explosive alarm at the Groß Siegharts secondary school in the Waldviertel in Lower Austria are now emerging. The school there was evacuated after the new chemistry teacher discovered a highly explosive substance in the cupboard. As the “Krone” learned, the pestle-sized ship had the explosive power of one or two hand grenades!
The bottle must have been stored in the Waldviertler high school chemistry cupboard for decades. When the new chemistry teacher in Groß Siegharts took stock on Thursday, she immediately raised the alarm around noon.
The vessel containing picric acid, which is relatively harmless in a liquid state, had dried out and was therefore highly explosive and very sensitive to external conditions such as vibrations.
80 students and ten workers evacuated
80 students and ten construction workers currently renovating the school were immediately evacuated and the fire, police and rescue services were informed.
Carbon coating initially caused confusion
The emergency services set up fire protection and arrived with chemical experts. After assessing the situation – initially the black activated carbon with which the material was covered caused confusion, the powder is yellow – specialists from the Ministry of the Interior were called in and arrived around 3 p.m.
Small but powerful…
According to information from “Krone”, the explosive power of the chemical in the pestle-sized container was estimated at one to two hand grenades. The harmless service has been activated. The operation was over around 4 p.m. In 2013, an almost identical case occurred at a German school: a new biology and chemistry teacher started at primary and secondary school in Friedrichshafen and wanted to make an inventory list. She also raised the alarm.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
