Buenos Aires: School science fair volcano experiment goes horribly wrong, injuring 17
A volcano model - packed with powdered sulfur, charcoal, and what investigators called a “special salt” that matched the formula for gunpowder - detonated without warning.
A 10-year-old girl lay unconscious on a ventilator in the intensive-care unit at Garrahan Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires after surgeons worked through the night to rebuild her face and save her left eye. A metal fragment from a classroom volcano experiment gone horribly wrong penetrated her skull, prompting doctors at Hospital San José in Pergamino to summon a provincial helicopter for an emergency transfer, reported Rosario3.
The blast erupted Thursday evening during the Instituto Comercial Rancagua’s annual science fair, where parents, teachers, and students gathered around tabletop demonstrations. A volcano model—packed with powdered sulfur, charcoal, and what investigators called a “special salt” that matched the formula for gunpowder—detonated without warning. “Don’t get close, kids,” a teacher shouted moments before a fireball shot upward and metal tubing burst, according to cellphone video verified by Milenio.
Cata, seated in the front row, absorbed the force of the shrapnel, suffering severe burns and catastrophic eye and brain trauma. Eleven other students, four parents, and two teachers were injured. Most left Hospital San José the same night with minor burns, contusions, or smoke inhalation, but a 45-year-old teacher underwent two operations at San Felipe Hospital in San Nicolás and lost sight in her left eye, relatives told La Nación.
Written with the help of a news-analysis system.
“It was a tremendous roar, everyone started to scream,” said a mother standing near the display, according to La Opinión. “There were kids with bloodied faces and parents who didn’t know what to do.”
Mayor Javier Martínez confirmed that the projectile “affected deep areas of the girl’s face and even part of her brain,” adding that the school’s management team could face criminal charges, La Nación reported. Martínez noted that gunpowder “is not common for experiments” and likely amplified the explosion.
Prosecutor Fernando Pertierra opened a judicial inquiry, ordered forensic tests, and took statements from the school director, the institution’s legal representative, and the supervising chemistry teacher. Investigators sealed the classroom and courtyard while Scientific Police sifted through debris.
The Buenos Aires provincial Education Ministry suspended all activities at the school and announced plans to tighten safety controls and update prevention manuals, reported La Voz del Interior. Residents in Pergamino and the nearby town of Rancagua organized prayer chains across social media, urging, “Let’s use our networks to maximize the energy and let it reach Cata and her family,” shared La Nación. Doctors at Garrahan Hospital described the child’s condition as stable but uncertain after complex maxillofacial surgery, Milenio noted.
KIDS - DON'T TRY THIS AT SCHOOL OR AT HOME!
