Fire officials called to ammonia leak at MIT

Fire officials were at the scene of an ammonia leak in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Cambridge fire officials have cleaned up the ammonia leak that caused a temporary evacuation of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory Tuesday afternoon.

The ammonia began to leak from near the valve of a small cylinder on a cart on the fourth floor of Building 6, a science and engineering facility on campus, according to Cambridge Fire Assistant Chief Gerard Mahoney.

The product was placed in a lab, with the door closed as occupants evacuated the building, Mahoney said.

As of about 4:30 p.m., Mahoney said, Cambridge fire had cleaned up the ammonia and were preparing to turn the building back over to MIT officials.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff