Dorm Explodes on Murray State Campus

By Sanjott Singh

June 28th, 2017

MURRAY, KY - A gas leak that caused an explosion in an empty residence hall at Murray State sent one employee to the hospital with minor injuries. No other injuries to staff or students were reported.

No one was killed in the accident. One person, a staff member, was injured and required medical attention, suffering only minor injuries. No one else was present in the building.

The explosion was caused by a gas leak. The affected area includes the bottom two floors of the brick building, resulting in a large hole and shattered windows.

Kara Bruns, a high school student visiting Murray State during the summer for a 5-week mock college program heard the blast while walking across campus. Following the explosion, Bruns was “completely shocked and frozen. …It was the loudest noise I had ever heard. …It was a huge boom.” “My first thought was that we were getting bombed. Someone is bombing this college campus during summer” Bruns said.

Resulting damage included more than just the dorm building. A dining hall near the dorm had its windows shattered. It remained closed to students for the rest of the summer.

Following the explosion, the dorm was closed. Tarps were put up and the affected area was roped to prevent others from being hurt. Bricks were cleared up soon after the blast.