Today's winners - or, in this case, definitely losers! - come from Australia.
Two men are fighting for their lives following an explosion in a backyard in Melbourne’s south-east.
A police spokeswoman said the men, both aged in their 20s, were "burying a cylinder or metal container of mixed chemicals" when the explosion occurred at the house on Currawong Grove, Cannons Creek.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesman described the scene as horrific. Both men had to be placed into an induced coma at the scene because of critical injuries before being flown to Melbourne. At lunchtime today, both remained in a critical condition.
It's believed a 24-year-old Pakenham man had both his legs blown off in the blast.
He also suffered blast injuries to his hands and burns to his face and airways in the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
A 23-year-old Cannons Creek man suffered burns to his face, arms and airways and is in The Alfred hospital.
Paramedic Ben Meadley likened the injuries to those normally seen on battlefields.
. . .
Police say the men were mixing the chemicals in their backyard in front of family and friends at the time of the explosion. 3AW has reported the chemicals were brake fluid and chlorine.
Neighbour Judy Gibbs said the explosion shook her house.
"I'd gone to bed and next minute there was this great, big, loud explosion - the windows in my house shook, the whole house shook," she told ABC radio.
There's more at the link.
I can hardly believe the stupidity of people who do this sort of thing, but they're all over the world, as far too many accidents like this demonstrate. To illustrate what happens when you combine brake fluid and chlorine, please take a look at the video clip below.
Now imagine a large, sealed metal container, holding in that chemical reaction until the metal couldn't contain it any longer. Talk about an instant bomb! No wonder one man's legs were blown off. Doofi indeed!
Why do I suspect that the words "Here, hold my beer and watch this!" formed part of the entertainment?
Peter
Who cares about the idiot's legs - the windows didn't shatter. Great.
ReplyDeleteDon't bother trying to sue the cylinder container manufacturer, fella cause you haven't a leg to stand on.
ReplyDeleteYea, it's old but I couldn't resist!
Yup. It is so sad that good reliable information about chemical kaboomy things is no longer widely dissemminated in public libraries. It seems that the Bullies of the Powers That Be are afraid that if we have chemical kaboomy knowlege, we might use it to blow them up, as they deserve.
ReplyDeletePlease email me and I will send you a link to some chemical kaboomy knowlege.
My son, combat medic in the sand box, told me of numerous incidents while in Korea. "We were drinking and it seemed like a good idea at the time...." was the beginning to most of the injuries he had to treat over there.
ReplyDeleteGlad I dodged the desire to develop a taste for booze. I had enough trouble keeping all my digits stone sober!!
Aussies have rednecks?
ReplyDeleteTwo more things to "regulate". Need to get a "Concealed Clorox Permit".
ReplyDeleteTo say nothing of being subject to arrest for carrying bomb-making materials when you have Clorox and brake fluid together in your possession while driving home from the grocery store.
Or just outlaw both.
Q
I think it is Sodium Hypochlorite (pool/water disinfectant), not chlorine (a yellow gas at room temp and pressure).
ReplyDeleteBut still a nice demonstration.