(DailyEmailNews.com) – Texas Tech University was rocked by a mysterious explosion that shot green flames from manholes and forced an emergency evacuation across campus.
Watch the video down below.
Initially reported as a gas leak, the blast occurred in the Engineering Key section and left the entire 1,800-acre campus without power.
The explosion inside a maintenance hole triggered a chain reaction of fires and power outages across the university, causing widespread disruption.
University officials immediately evacuated several buildings and canceled classes for the remainder of the week.
Texas Tech, which serves over 40,000 students, announced that spring break would begin immediately – earlier than scheduled.
“You can go ahead and go home for spring break. We are closing school down for the next couple days,” said university police department spokesperson Caitlynn Jeffries.
Lubbock Fire Rescue Captain Jon Tunnell reported finding “multiple manhole covers with active fire and smoke issuing from them” when emergency responders arrived on the scene.
Videos from the campus showed an alarming sight: flames shooting from manholes, with some witnesses describing unusual green and yellow flames erupting from the openings.
Robert Gauthreaux III, a doctoral student who witnessed the explosion, described seeing a distinct smoke ring rise from the blast site.
While officials initially suspected a gas leak, the cause of both the explosion and the strange colored flames remains unknown.
The lack of clear answers about what caused such a dangerous incident at a major public university has become a widespread concern.
The university immediately implemented its emergency response plan. Campus police advised all public and unofficial personnel to stay away from campus.
While student residence halls were not evacuated, students were advised to leave campus if possible and check their emails for further instructions.
Students have been allowed back into residence halls, though employees were told to stay away until further notice.
As a precautionary measure, the Texas Tech University Health Science Center was also vacated.
The campus will remain closed for faculty and staff through Friday, and the power grid has been shut down across the entire campus for repairs.
Lubbock Power & Light is working with other agencies to resolve the issue “safely and quickly,” but no timeline for power restoration has been provided.
Fortunately, despite the dramatic nature of the explosion and subsequent fires, no injuries were reported from the incident.
Copyright 2025, DailyEmailNews.com
