Acid spill closed road and led to evacuation

A HIGHLY corrosive acid spill and a “subsequent gas release” were behind the huge emergency response at Plymouth University on Friday afternoon.

- By JOHN BETT

Specialist firefighters had descended on the Davy building at the university campus off Drake Circus, opposite The Box, after an alert just after 2pm regarding an incident in a lab used by chemistry students.

Witnesses spoke of seeing around eight fire appliances at the scene, including the aerial platform from Crownhill fire station. In addition officers from Devon and Cornwall Police were seen to be assisting firefighters along with paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service.

It was later revealed by Newton Abbot Fire Station that it was believed to be a spill of nitric acid - a highly corrosive mineral acid that can be dangerous to humans.