Explosive material removed from Groningen high school

Barrels containing the explosive substance picric acid were found in a chemistry room at Groningen high school CSG Augustine. The Ministry of Defense's explosives clearance department removed the barrels from the school and safely detonated it elsewhere, RTV Noord reports.

School director Ritske Pieter Tulner told the broadcaster that the substance was stored in a closed area of the chemistry room. "It is one of the many substances that we have collected over the years. In this case it is picric acid. That can dry out and then become explosive."

"A member of our technical staff checked the supplies closet and found the substance", he went on. "He determined that we had to carefully remove the substance. We then immediately contacted the fire brigade."

The area around the school was cordoned off as a precaution. As it is school holidays, no pupils were at the school at the time.