14 DAY TRIAL // Just the other day, a toilet exploded without warning at a farm in Austria and severely injured a woman who suffered extensive burns to her arms, her hands and even her head.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in the state of Styria in the country's southeast. Authorities were alerted, and soon enough, paramedics arrived at the farm.
Since she was badly wounded, the woman could not be treated on site. Rather, she had to be rushed to the nearest hospital. Here, doctors tended to her burns and patched her up.
As mentioned, the woman suffered extensive burns to her upper body. All the same, doctors expect she will eventually recover from the incident, even though she will likely be left with scars.
How does a toilet explode without warning?
Law enforcement officers in Styria are still investigating the occurrence. What they have learned so far is that the toilet exploded when the woman flicked on a light switch.
Hence, they suspect that the explosion was the result of a methane gas buildup from a nearby septic tank. When the woman turned on the light, the spark ignited the gas and triggered the blast.
“When the woman turned on the light there was a sudden explosion, leaving the woman with burn injuries on both arms, hands and her head,” a police officer explained in an interview, as cited by DM.
Although rare, such incidents involving toilets are not entirely unheard of. In fact, it was back in last year's February that another toilet went boom without warning at a bar in Barcelona.
This other toilet in Spain exploded just as a woman was sitting on it. The blast was strong enough that it caused second and third degree burns on the woman's legs.
An investigation conducted by local authorities concluded that the explosion happened because of an accumulation of methane gas ignited by a spark in the bar's electrical circuit.