Gas leak in E-Quad quelled by rescue squads

Around 100 people were evacuated from the Engineering Quadrangle at 5:40 p.m. on Friday due to a silane gas leak in a laboratory on the fourth floor of the J wing.

Among those evacuated was a graduate student who was working in the laboratory. There were no injuries.

The leak prompted an alarm and triggered an automatic system that turned off the gas supply and ventilated the laboratory. The Department of Public Safety, Site Protection, Princeton Borough Police, the Princeton Fire Department and a hazardous materials team from Trenton all responded to the alarm.

After the hazardous materials team performed an inspection, the building was declared safe for occupation shortly after 8 p.m.   

Silane is a toxic and highly flammable colorless gas that can be used for solar power, in semiconductors and in some reaction engines.