At a Bengaluru birthday celebration, a 'helium' balloon catches fire, inflicting burns on 5, including 4 children

 

Voice 9, News Desk: Five individuals, including four minors, sustained burn injuries subsequent to an alleged incident where a 'helium' balloon made contact with an electric wire and ignited during a birthday celebration in Bengaluru on Saturday evening.

The injured have been identified as Vijay Aditya Kumar, a 44-year-old employee of HAL, along with Dhyan Chandra (7), Ishan (2), Sanjay (8), and Sohila (3). According to law enforcement officials, the occurrence transpired at Vijay Kumar's residence in Belathur, KR Puram, at 9:30 pm, when the children had gathered at Vijay's abode to commemorate his daughter's birthday.

A police officer expressed suspicion that the balloon may have been filled with hydrogen instead of helium, which could have precipitated the incident. "Helium is an inert gas and does not react with any other substance. Even if it comes into contact with a flame or heat source, the balloon will simply burst like any other ordinary inflated balloon.

Conversely, hydrogen is a combustible gas, and it propagates fire," the officer stated. The police revealed that while Vijay's daughter went to consume milk, the other children were engaged in play with a balloon, which ruptured upon making contact with an electric wire, resulting in the eruption of flames and injuring all five individuals in the living room. Neighbors promptly transported them to a nearby medical facility, and subsequently, they were transferred to Victoria Hospital.

The Kadugodi police have initiated an investigation and registered a case. An officer remarked, "There was a sparkler candle that was still aflame, and as the 'helium' balloon ascended and encountered the electric wire, an explosion ensued, causing the fire to spread."