'Suspicious' Package Explodes At Northeastern University Injuring 1 Staff; Boston Colleges Issue Alerts

A staff member of the Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, was rushed to the hospital Tuesday evening after a "suspicious" package delivered to the campus exploded. The incident was followed by several other prestigious institutes in the city issuing alerts for their students.

Northeastern University revealed that the package was delivered to Holmes Hall at around 7 p.m., local time, NBC 10 Boston News reported. A 45-year-old male staff member suffered minor injuries on his hand as the package exploded when he opened it.

Holmes Hall, which is home to Northeastern University's creative writing program, is also the building that houses the university's gender and sexuality studies program. The entire building was evacuated as a class was underway when the explosion occurred and fire alarms were set off. Holmes Hall was been sealed off for investigations.

One student described the chaos that ensued after the incident as bomb squads and fire department officials arrived during the evacuation.

Following reports of the explosion, authorities went on to reveal that the Boston Bomb Squad had found and neutralized a second suspicious package near the Museum of Fine Arts, which is located on the outskirts of Northeastern University. The FBI has joined the investigation, WCNC reported.

The NU Police Department announced that evening classes at a number of campus buildings were canceled as authorities investigated the incident. In its latest update, the NU Police Department said the campus is expected to be in full operation again by Wednesday.

Meanwhile, multiple universities in the Boston area issued alerts for their students and employees after the incident at Northeastern University.

"HUPD is aware of reports of a detonation of a suspicious package at Northeastern," Harvard University tweeted, adding that they were working with law enforcement to increase patrollers within the campus. The prestigious university also urged community members to report "anything suspicious."

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Police also posted an alert on Twitter regarding the explosion, urging students and employees to report "suspicious packages" to authorities.

The Boston Architectural College (BAC) urged the community to "be cautious" in a Twitter alert, citing the detonation of a package at Northeastern University.

The Boston University (BU) Police posted an alert regarding the explosion, accompanying the post with an image that reads, "If you see something, say something."