Barrel of liquid nitrogen EXPLODES in botched chemistry experiment in Spain, hospitalising 15 including nine children
- The blast at the House of Culture in Girona, Spain meant 15 taken to hospital
- The crowd mainly consisted of schoolchildren, nine who later suffered burns
- Huge thick white clouds of smoke suddenly spread to the crowd in the blast
- Organisers were hyping up the crowd with a Bruno Mars song and countdown
A shocking video shows the moment a barrel of liquid nitrogen exploded in a botched chemistry experiment in Spain – causing 15 people, including nine children, to be hospitalised.
The blast from the experiment at the House of Culture in Girona left victims with burns, which were treated at Placa de l’Hospital, reported The Sun.
The footage shows the crowd, consisting mainly of children and a few parents, waiting expectantly to see the experiment – some with their cameras out.
The event, which Girona’s mayor Marta Madrenas said was organised by the local university, saw organisers hyping up the crowd by playing Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk and encouraging them to look in the barrels.
One barrel is lightly smoking at the start of the video.
A shocking video shows the moment a barrel of liquid nitrogen exploded in a botched chemistry experiment at the House of Culture in Girona, Spain. The video begins with one barrel smoking and a man pouring in an unknown substance
The event, which Girona’s mayor Marta Madrenas said was organised by the local university, saw those taking part get their audience prepared by playing Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk and encouraging them to look in the barrels
One man pours an unknown substance into one barrel before they are placed on top of one another.
The end of a tense countdown from four to zero results in a blast that is clearly much larger than expected, exploding into the crowd and obscuring the view of the camera.
Huge, thick clouds of white smoke suddenly spread towards the crowd in a matter of seconds.
The barrels are placed on top of one another before a countdown from four to zero
The blast is clearly much larger than expected, exploding into the crowd and obscuring the view of the camera
The panicked bystanders can be seen fleeing – as authorities alerted residents to stay away and police, emergency crews and firemen attended.
Among those hurt were the professor behind the experiment, Deni Jaminez, and the assistant holding the barrel – who Mayor Madrenas said was most affected by the explosion and was transferred to Trueta hospital.
One of the injured is said to be ‘between a serious and less serious’ condition in hospital.
Huge, thick clouds of white smoke suddenly spread towards the crowd in a matter of seconds
Madrenas said ‘many people’ were watching the explosion.
Liquid nitrogen is a cryogenic liquid, a gas that’s kept in a liquid state at extremely low temperatures.
Top restaurants occasionally use it to make impressive clouds when exposed to air, for example in cocktails.
But it can cause frostbite or cryogenic burns if it is not used and handled properly.
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