Downtown Raleigh's streets back open after contained hazmat explosion on Shaw University's campus

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- After hazardous chemicals were found in a science building on Shaw University's campus, the Raleigh Police department worked to develop a plan to safely detonate them.

Campus staff found an expired chemical called crystalized diethyl ether in Shaw's Roberts Science Building on S. Wilmington Street around 5:10 p.m. on Friday.

The building was evacuated and Shaw University Campus Police stayed around the building until authorities could create a plan to safely dispose of the chemical.

After working with agencies like the ATF and the FBI, Raleigh Police shut down streets around the Roberts Science Building just before 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning to begin disposal.

Authorities used a backhoe to dig a hole in a grassy area of Shaw University's campus near the science building. Experts were able to carefully move the chemical to that hole, bury it, cover it in sandbags, and use charges to detonate it.

A loud boom could be heard in downtown Raleigh just before 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday as they exploded the chemical to safely dispose of it.

There were no injuries related to the contained explosion.

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