Teenager suffers severe burns after petard part explodes in his hands

A 15 year-old boy from Santa Venera was grievously injured on Momday night, after igniting a petard part that he had found the previous day.

The case was reported to the police at around 9:30pm, when the teenager was rushed to the Accident and Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital with hand and facial burns.

Preliminary police investigations found that the youth had been watching a fireworks display at Tal-Blat in Qormi when he found an unignited petard in the vicinity of where the pyrotechnics were being let off. He took the part and decided to ignite it yesterday at around 8:40pm at the Mriehel Industrial Estate. However, it immediately exploded in his hands, causing the abovementioned injuries.

The case is being investigated by the Qormi District Police.