MARGAO
Beware! Releasing gas balloons to mark inauguration of events and sports meets can prove costly.
Chances are that the balloons may burst because of friction, leaving the people around with burn injuries as was seen at the Annual Sports Day of AIM’s Educational Institution at the Rumdamol Panchayat ground on Saturday morning.
Superintendent of police (Training) Sucheta Dessai, who presided over the event was left with minor injuries after the gas balloons burst, throwing a ball of fire right in the midst of the guests and organisers.
Sources said that Sucheta was taken to the hospital after she sustained minor burn injuries before she was discharged after administration of first aid.
The incident occurred moments after SP Sucheta declared the Annual Sports meet open, when the organizers brought multi-coloured gas balloons for release from her hands to mark the grand opening of the event in the presence of Chairman of AIM English Medium High school Shaikh Aslam, Headmaster AIM English Medium High School Urfan Mulla and others.
As can be seen from a video that soon went viral, the balloons burst into a fire ball right in the hands of the organizers, leaving those around to run helter-skelter.
While initial reports claimed that the balloons were filled with nitrogen, fire officials, who tried to figure out the mystery, said the balloons were filled with hydrogen.
“We tried to find out from the persons, who had filled the balloons with gas and he admitted that they were filled with hydrogen. May be because of friction and heat the balloons burst”, remarked a fire official.
