Professor killed in French chemistry school blast

A large explosion rocked a chemistry school in eastern France today, killing a professor and slightly injuring another person, authorities said.

The blast on the ground floor of the Superior National School of Chemistry in Mulhouse, near France’s border with Germany, was followed by a fire, rescue services said.

Rescue teams said about 10 people remained unaccounted for, and about 150 people were uninjured – though many shaken up by the blast.

The death of the professor was confirmed by the local government for the Haut-Rhin region, where Mulhouse is located. The surrounding area was evacuated, and firefighters put out the blaze.

“We thought it was an earthquake,” a local resident identified as Jean-Pierre Langer told TF1 television. “It really shook."