Cleanup efforts are under way in Schweitzer Hall on the University of Missouri campus, where a hydrogen explosion injured four people and shattered nearly 20 windows yesterday.
That’s about all MU officials are saying at this point, as the investigation into the blast is ongoing, MU spokesman Christian Basi said.
The Columbia Fire Department responded at 2:20 p.m. to a report of a structure fire at 503 S. College Ave. When crews arrived, they discovered the explosion and extinguished a small fire, much of which had already been put out by an automatic sprinkler system.
“It looks like a bomb went off in the lab,” Columbia fire Capt. Eric Hartman said, quoting a firefighter exiting the building.
Those injured included a research scientist, two postdoctoral fellows and a graduate student. Three of them were released from University Hospital after being treated for minor to moderate injuries. The fourth person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but was listed in good condition in the hospital’s burn unit as of last night.
Early this morning, the MU News Bureau said it planned to release names of the victims, but Basi later said privacy laws prohibited the university from providing that information.
Details about the explosion are scarce and have changed since the initial reports. Hartman first told reporters that a 2,000-pound hydrogen tank had exploded, but investigation crews later found the tank intact.
Last night, the fire department issued a statement blaming the explosion on human error. During an experiment with bacteria in hydrogen-rich environments, lab personnel turned on the hydrogen supply to an anaerobic hood and, because they weren’t familiar with the warning systems, left the gas on, the fire department’s statement said. Once the gas reached an ignition source, it exploded, according to the news release.
This morning, though, the fire department said the information was not complete and that fire investigators have not concluded that human error was to blame.
“We’re trying to figure out what caused it,” Basi said.
The investigation should reveal the monetary amount of damage to the building, he said. Results also should highlight whether the university should make procedural or policy changes to prevent similar incidents in the future, he said.
The third-floor lab was assigned to Professor Judy Wall, who was across the hall in her office when the explosion occurred. This morning, Wall referred questions to the news bureau.
Schweitzer Hall is home to the Department of Biochemistry, which is part of the School of Medicine and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. The building has one classroom, located in the basement, which is not being used this summer. Basi said lab space elsewhere in the building is OK. Crews found the rest of the building to be structurally safe, and researchers and staff were allowed to access the building to resume work.
Reach Janese Silvey at 573-815-1705 or e-mail jsilvey@columbiatribune.com.
A pile of debris sits outside Schweitzer Hall as cleanup crews went through the building.
Workers began replacing the building's windows on Tuesday.

An explosion at the  (Mizzou) on Monday afternoon left four people injured, authorities say.

The explosion occurred in a science laboratory in Schweitzer Hall around 2:20 p.m.  (1920 UTC) Monday. The source of the explosion was first thought to have been a 2,000-pound (907.2-kilogramme)  tank, but fire officials later said that this was not the case. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by the  Fire Department.

The Columbia Fire Department arrived at Schweitzer Hall after a report of a structure fire, but found that most of the fire had already been extinguished by the building's . The remaining flames were put out by firefighters, one of whom said it looked as if "a bomb went off in the lab".

Of the four hurt in the blast, one was a research scientist, one a graduate student, and the other two postdoctoral fellows. Three were treated for mild injuries and released from , while the fourth was in good condition after being taken to the hospital's  for life-threatening injuries. A school spokesperson said that the university was not allowed to release the names of the victims.

Authorities initially believed that a large container of hydrogen gas had exploded, but investigators later said that the tank was intact. Fire officials also retracted an earlier statement that said the incident had been a result of human error. In a Monday night news release, the fire department said that lab workers had turned on the hydrogen but did not recognize warning signs indicating a dangerously high level of hydrogen gas in the lab, so they left the gas supply running. The report said the explosion occurred after the gas reached a source of ignition. However, the department said Tuesday that the investigation into the explosion is still ongoing and that they were not certain human error was the cause.

The investigation should determine the cost of repairs for the building, as well as whether the school should implement new procedures to avoid similar incidents in the future. The lab where the explosion took place will be totally rebuilt.

Schweitzer Hall houses Mizzou's  department, which is part of the medical and agricultural programs. The building's single classroom is located in the basement and was not in use at the time. The explosion happened on a third-story lab assigned to Judy Wall, a university professor, who was in her office across from the lab during the incident and referred inquiries to the news bureau. Other labs in the building were not disturbed, and Schweitzer Hall was established to be structurally sound, although nearly twenty windows had been shattered from the blast. The building reopened Tuesday for researchers to continue working.