A fire extinguisher exploded Friday during an outdoor drill at a high school in Bangkok, Thailand, killing one student and injuring 21 others.
The carbon dioxide canister, which might have malfunctioned due to exposure to the sun or heat, flew about 10 meters to the victim as it exploded, lodging shrapnel into the victim’s chest and killing him, according to the BBC. The victim, whose identity was undisclosed, was in his final year at Rajavinit Mathayom School, where the incident occurred. (RELATED: Man Blows Fire Extinguisher In The Face Of Guy Smoking By His Business)
A fire extinguisher reportedly exploded during a fire drill exercise at a school in Bangkok, Thailand, killing one student and injuring several others pic.twitter.com/3VrcAYza7x
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 23, 2023
Police and education officials visited the site. The forensics division of the police collected all the extinguishers used in the drill. The police vowed to investigate how and where the canisters were refilled and the status of the safety valves, according to the BBC.
The weather in Bangkok on Friday reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit, according to The Weather Channel.
The drill, the first in six years at the school, was coordinated by Bangkok’s fire department, which had not experienced such an incident during its many previous drills at schools, according to the Associated Press. At least three people could be charged with death by negligence, Bangkok police chief Thiti Saengsawang said.