AN ARMY BOMB DISPOSAL unit was deployed to a school in Wicklow town earlier today to deal with a dangerous chemical which had been discovered there.

The unit was deployed to Glendalough East Secondary School following a request from local Gardaí.

A routine audit of the school’s laboratory store had led to the discovery of an unspecified amount of the chemical reagent, dinitrophenylhydrazine.

That substance is a ‘shock explosive’ and becomes more unstable over time, leading to the possibility that the substance can detonate if ‘shocked’ or dropped.

The bomb squad arrived on the scene at 4:20pm and removed the substance to a waste ground where a controlled explosion was carried out to make the chemical safe.

The scene was declared safe at 5:40pm.

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Bomb disposal team deals with unstable chemical at Wicklow school

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.