Crime & Safety
One Injured in Explosion Near George Mason's Prince William Campus
Explosion happened at Utron Kinetics, but the event is not considered to be a crime scene.
One person was injured in a late-morning explosion in a building across from the George Mason University Prince William Campus, emergency officials said.
An explosion was heard around 11:33 a.m. Monday at Utron Kinetics at 9441 Innovation Drive in the Manassas area of Prince William County, said Kim Hylander, a spokeswoman for the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue.
The building was evacuated and the county's emergency HAZMAT and building collapse units are at the scene, she said. Fire officials believe the explosion is connected to a hydrogen air pressure vessel in the building.
Utron is a government contractor that manufactures high-density parts for defense, aerospace and commercial use, according to the company's website.
No more information is available on the condition of the injured person, Hylander said.
Prince William County Police spokesman Jonathan Perok said that because it was a fire event, not a crime scene, county police did not respond to the incident.
Children participating in the Governor's School @Innovation Park on the GMU campus were not affected by the blast, but are returning early to their home schools, Prince William County Public Schools officials said.
Operations at the nearby university were not affected by the emergency, said, Michele McDonald senior communications manager at GMU.
Stay with Patch for more information as this story develops.
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