A Colorado Springs sanitation worker was hospitalized with severe chemical burns Wednesday after being exposed to a sulfuric acid explosion when dumping out a trash bin, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

The 2400 block of North Chelton Road was completely closed for more than three hours as the Fire Department and hazmat crews investigated a liquid-caused explosion that left the sanitation worker at Infinite Disposal in critical condition, officials said.

The department confirmed that sulfuric acid was the cause of the worker's severe chemical burns after a hazmat crew investigated for over 30 minutes. Sulfuric acid, when combined with liquids like water, can react by causing explosions and fires, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sulfuri

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