A University of Bristol student is believed to have mistakenly produced acetone peroxide, the explosive used in the 7/7 bombings during a routine science experiment last Friday (3rd February).

At 2.30pm, the chemistry building at Bristol University along with neighbouring buildings had to be evacuated when the student unexpectedly manufactured the chemical in one of the University’s laboratories.

The “unstable substance” referred to by a University spokesperson is thought to be TATP, an explosive which  has been used in improvised devices, including the bombs detonated by terrorists in the Paris and Brussels attacks and in the 7/7 London bombings.

While the University spokesperson refused to go into detail regarding the exact nature of the incident, they did confirm that an investigation is underway, saying “we will be looking into what happened and seeing what lessons can be learned.”

After the evacuation, the TATP was disposed of by a specialist team. No one was injured and the Avon and Somerset Constabulary are treating the incident as an accident.

Mariana Avelino