Hanoi woman suffers facial burns after hydrogen balloon explodes during birthday celebration; video goes viral

In a sudden, horrifying moment, the balloons touched the lit candles on the cake, triggering a massive explosion. Flames erupted, briefly engulfing her face.

Shocked and in pain, Pham dropped everything, covered her face with her hands, and rushed to the bathroom, where she splashed water on her burns to ease the pain. She was then taken to the hospital for treatment, Baohaiduong reported.

“The incident happened six days ago, but only today did I calm down enough to review the process of the balloon exploding and causing my burns. I cried all day because I didn’t know what my life and work would be like after being burned on my face like that,” she told the publication.

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Doctors confirmed that Pham suffered first and second-degree burns but assured her there would be no lasting scars. However, they warned that it could take months for her skin tone to return to normal.

Pham, later, discovered that the balloons she bought were filled with highly-flammable hydrogen gas. The seller never mentioned the danger, likely because of the high demand for balloons on Valentine’s Day.

Recalling the terrifying moment, Pham said, “When the balloon exploded, the fire flared up, rising high and burning the entire array of balloons the restaurant had prepared. Luckily, these balloons contained normal air, otherwise, it could have led to a serious fire.”

The video went viral and many took to the comments to share their views. A user wrote, “I am afraid of balloons for the rest of my life.”

Another user said, “When I was a kid, I got a normal balloon. I remember that my eyelashes were burnt.”

A third person commented, “Very scary. Risk of face burns.”

In a similar incident, a few weeks ago, a man attempted a stunt using a lighter, but it went horribly wrong. For a brief moment, his face caught fire. Though the flames went out quickly, the video of the incident went viral.