MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A “hazardous spill” caused the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to abruptly evacuate its pharmacy building on Friday morning.
In a social media post that has since been deleted, the UTHSC said the situation was an emergency and asked all those in the pharmacy building to evacuate and “follow authorities’ instructions.”
The building has since reopened, but the UTHSC says the 5th floor will be closed until further notice.
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“They called and said don’t go on the fifth floor because it’s close and I was like what happened,” said a woman on her way to work inside the building.
The woman said her boss told her to work from home. In her seven years of working inside the building, she said nothing of this caliber had ever happened before.
We asked her what kind of chemicals could have spilled, but she said she did not think the building had any dangerous chemicals in it.
UTSC released a statement regarding the incident on Friday.
The university says the emergency response team is working closely with city Fire and Safety to manage the situation and to ensure the safety of the campus community. They say that updates will be provided once the restricted area is deemed safe to reenter.
“Employees impacted by the restricted access to the facility should work with their supervisors to make alternative work arrangements. Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions or concerns,” said the UTHSC in a statement.
