A contractor suffered serious burn injuries following an electrical incident during renovation works at the Chemistry Building of the University of Debrecen on Monday afternoon, the university said in a statement.
According to the university, contractors were carrying out planned maintenance work requiring a power outage when an electrical short circuit caused an arc flash explosion. The cables inside an electrical cabinet burned out, and the resulting smoke activated the building’s fire alarm system.
People on the affected floor were evacuated from the building with the assistance of the university’s security service. Firefighters arriving at the scene ventilated and inspected the area. No further intervention was necessary, as the electrical fire had already extinguished itself before emergency crews arrived.
The injured worker, employed by the contractor, suffered severe second- and third-degree burns affecting approximately 40 percent of his body. He was transported by ambulance to the Burn Centre of the University of Debrecen Clinical Centre.
The university said the patient’s condition is stable and that he is receiving continuous treatment under strict medical supervision.
Fault assessment and repair work are currently underway. Examinations scheduled in the Chemistry Building have been relocated to other buildings on the University of Debrecen’s main campus on Egyetem Square.
The university expects restoration work to be completed later this week.
