'Explosions about every 15 seconds'
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EUGENE, Ore. -- An explosion on the University of Oregon campus caused an evacuation of the nearby Health Center on the first day of winter term Monday morning, police said.
'There were a few explosions about every 15 seconds," student CJ Willett said. "I got into my dorm and the power was all off. Two minutes later I got a text."
University officials released information in a text message just after 10 a.m. Monday asking students and faculty to avoid the area around the health center at 13th and Agate streets on campus after what they called an "emergency incident" took place.
White and black smoke or steam could be seen rising from an underground tunnel.
"It does seem to be an electrical system-related issue," said Kelly McIver, campus police spokesman, told The Associated Press, "but no speculation as to the cause."
The student health center was evacuated, and power was either out or intermittent to about eight campus buildings, McIver said.
When the blasts started, two electrical workers were nearby in the tunnel system, but it's unknown whether they had anything to do with the explosions, McIver said.
"They exited the tunnel quickly and were not hurt," he said.
Police officials at the scene confirmed that the incident was an underground explosion that shook the area near the building.
University officials said that they do not know what caused the underground explosion.
Intermittent power outages are also being reported around the UO campus
This is a developing story. Watch KVAL News and KVAL.com for updates
Some local guys on reddit on r/eugene say it's the tunnels underneath. There's a guy who works there who also says it has to do with the tunnels.
http://www.reddit.com/r/Eugene/comments/164pre/just_got_a_text_that_there_was_an_emergency/
@RelaxThereIsNoGod ---these tunnels must be for routing water, sewage, electricity, and gas? Hope it was not a nerve center for all of the above. There are two large dormitory mess halls east and west of the epicenter along with plenty of dorm complexes all around. Might need to check and make sure there is no contamination of the dorm potable/drinking supply outlets.ASAP!Â
Hopefully it is not a copy cat of the WA copy cat copycatting the CT Massacre. Or, was it that nut who threatened to blow up that hospital emergency room on 13th & Patterson a few weeks back? Or, his copy cat? A disgruntled employee? A group of righfully disgruntled customers of EWEB raising their bill by 20%? Former students that will never get a job before the building across the street starts charging them outrageous interest and late fees on their student loans, while they are busy trying to pay off cash interest on their credit cards because they used them to pay EWEB, to avoid freezing to death?
My hunch is that there was no foul play. Inspection/mt. neglect maybe. Just that defecation happens.
If my hunch is wrong, authorities could run a scan on all of those disgruntled graduates who paid their EWEB bill with one of those evil cash check credit cards around the holiday season. Probably would violate the law by looking for leads in said fasion. But, EWEB seems beyond the law anyways.
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@peace Maybe it was the cold and homeless Occupy movements meth lab exploding...
@OregonNative ---After that Tommy Chong looking character got pulled over for drunk driving a semi with a meth lab in the back last weekend, I will believe anything. I actually ate at a soup kitchen in Roseburg with that guy. Only because we both knew the food tasted better and was safer than the Roseburg Denny's on I-5.