A student was sent to hospital Thursday after a chemical spill at the University of Moncton.

Two students were working in a chemical storage bunker behind the university’s science building Thursday afternoon when a two-litre bottle containing an unknown chemical was dropped on the floor.

A hazmat team from Saint John was called in to assist in the cleanup and several faculty buildings were evacuated.

“These bunkers store very dangerous chemicals, a wide variety of them, so we are treating this as a very serious incident,” says Moncton Fire Chief Eric Arsenault.

One of the students was sent to hospital but has since been released.

The hazmat team is still working to determine what chemical spilled.

“It is a chemical. We know it is toxic and  highly inflammable but we don’t know what is the name of the chemical,” says Abdelaziz Nait Ajjou,  Chair of the university’s Chemistry department.

Officials say it could take several hours to fully secure the scene.