Students were evacuated from Hallward Library this morning after smoke from a plant room in a building opposite infiltrated the library’s fire system and set off the alarm.
A spokesperson for the library told Impact: “Everyone in Hallward was evacuated for ten minutes before the security came and told us it was safe for students to come back in”.
“We were not given much information but we were told that it was not a drill and that a fire engine had been called”
Tom Watchorn, a fourth year Television and Film Studies student, told Impact: “We were asked to leave our seminar and return in half an hour. We were not given much information but we were told that it was not a drill and that a fire engine had been called”.
In a telephone conversation, the University’s security said that “because the incident is recent, there is no current information” but has assured Impact that it is investigating the incident and will provide more information in due course.
Hallward Library has now reopened to students.
Update: In a statement issued to Impact, the University’s security said: “The fire alarm system was activated in a plant room adjacent to Hallward Library. This was caused by smoke travelling along underground ducting from an underground plant room adjacent to New Theatre.
The smoke was caused by contractors undertaking hot work in the plant room. There was no fire nor was there any damage. Once the cause of the activation was located the alarm was reset”.
Tamsin Parnell
Image: Matt Buck via Flickr
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