University science lab is evacuated after a student accidentally concocted the same deadly explosive used in the 7/7 bombings 

  • The University of Bristol was evacuated after bomb material was concocted 
  • The substance TATP, or acetone peroxide, was accidentally made by a student
  • Bomb disposal team had to attend to the chemical and students were evacuated
  • TATP was used in the 7/7 bombings, the November 2015 Paris assault and 2016 Brussels attack 

By Simon Holmes For Mailonline

Published: 08:06 EST, 4 February 2017 | Updated: 05:43 EST, 5 February 2017

A top university's science department was evacuated after a student accidentally concocted a deadly explosive - the same as that used in the 7/7 bombings.

The explosive substance TATP, or acetone peroxide, was created in the University of Bristol's chemistry lab, according to a staff member.

It's the same chemical that was used in the London 7/7 bombings as well as terror attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Staff and students from the School of Chemistry were evacuated after the dangerous mixture was discovered

Police, ambulances and five fire engines attended as a precaution and a bomb disposal team attended to help dispose of the chemical

Staff and students from the School of Chemistry were evacuated after the dangerous mixture was discovered in a lab at 2.30pm on Friday.

Police, ambulances and five fire engines attended as a precaution and a bomb disposal team attended to help dispose of the chemical.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary said it could not comment on the substance but confirmed the incident was not being treated suspicious.

Twitter user Hannah Gamlin, who is based in the West Country, tweeted: 'If you just heard a loud bang in Bristol it was an unsafe substance from Bristol Uni chemistry lab being disposed of in Royal Fort Gardens.' 

The fire brigade and ambulance service was called to the scene as a precaution 

The fire brigade and ambulance service was called to the scene as a precaution 

A member of staff who was working in the building at the time of the evacuation said the TATP was created as a by-product of an experiment.

The staff member added: 'There are two levels and both floors were filled with first and second year students, and probably around 150 just in one lab alone.

'As you can imagine, everyone didn't stay calm and got out very quickly. I was told by those working closely to the lab it was TATP.'

TATP is a homemade explosive substance, and has been used in improvised explosive devices (IED).

Traces of it was found after the 7/7 bombings, the November 2015 Paris attacks and last year's Brussels bombing.

The University of Bristol's science department had to be evacuated after a student accidentally concocted a substance used in bombs 

The University of Bristol's science department had to be evacuated after a student accidentally concocted a substance used in bombs 

A spokesman for Bristol University would not confirm the nature of the substance, saying a review was set to start next week.

But he confirmed the 'unstable substance' was made accidentally.

He said: 'Our chemistry building and those buildings in the near vicinity were evacuated earlier this afternoon as a precaution, due to an unstable substance being manufactured by mistake.

'The substance has been disposed of safely and no one was injured.

'We will be looking into what happened and seeing what lessons can be learned.'  

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