14 DAY TRIAL // A Chinese pensioner ended up in the hospital with severe burns after the static electricity from the clothes he was putting on ignited fumes from a nearby gas leak and caused a powerful explosion.
The explosion happened while Wen Chung was attempting to get dressed in his home from Jiangdu, eastern China, and it was so strong that it was felt from a distance of almost 300 meters.
The 78-year-old man suffered from third-degree burns on his face, neck and hands and was transported to Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital to receive medical treatment.
The injuries on his face were due to the initial explosion while the others were caused by his desperate attempt to put out the fire. Despite his old age and the severity of the injuries, Mr. Chung is currently in stable condition.
Doctors explained that the victim's face was badly disfigured because of the powerful blast and may lead to future issues. Because of the extent of his facial scars, Cheng may encounter problems in secreting saliva.
The incident happened around 7:30 am and it was so strong that relatives of the victim said they could feel the blast even if they were far away. Besides injuring the pensioner, the house also had some considerable damage.
“The power of the explosion was very strong. You could feel the blast within a 300-meter radius. Three doors fell down, and the glass in the window broke into pieces,” Mr. Chung's nephew says, according to The Global Times.
After Wuqiao county firemen came to put out the flames and investigate the situation, they believed the most possible cause of the explosion was the gas exiting the leaking old pipeline from the house set alight by a spark of static energy from the clothes Wen was trying to put on.
This type of incidents are not as unusual as they seem as static energy can cause major fires in places where there are build-ups of inflammable substances, like gas. This type of accidents is usually encountered near petrol stations and people are advised to wear cotton clothing in order to avoid static electricity sparks.