Teacher life-flighted after chemistry lab explosion at Slater High School

UPDATE: As of Saturday morning, the teacher, Katherine James, 33, is in fair condition at University Hospital.

The teacher’s husband, Joseph James, told ABC 17 News his wife was treated for chemical burns and had surgery to remove glass shards from the explosion.

ORIGINAL STORY: ABC 17 News has confirmed one teacher was injured after a chemical explosion at Slater High School Friday afternoon.

The Saline Co. Sheriff told ABC 17 News the 33-year-old teacher was life-flighted to University Hospital in Columbia. But hospital officials could not release the teacher’s condition as of Thursday night.

School officials told ABC 17 there was an explosion in the chemistry lab.

No students were in the room at the time of the incident. It happened around 1:30 p.m.

School officials and Slater police did not know the exact cause of the explosion.

About 60 students were evacuated from the building as a precaution, according to Superintendent Dr. Terry Lorenz.

Many students and faculty heard a loud bang come from the lab, even from other parts of the building.

“It was enough concussion to blow out a window across the room,” Lorenz said. “There was, smoke filled that hallway. We evacuated the students off of that floor, pulled them all the way off of that floor and took them to other wings.”

Several staff members rushed to the lab to help the teacher and put her under water quickly to stop any chemical reactions, according to Lorenz.

Slater EMS and fire department responded to the school immediately following the explosion.

There was no damage to the building outside of the lab. Crews sealed off the door to the room until insurance investigators and cleanup crews can come to the school Monday.