The explosion of an aerosol ravages an apartment in Toulouse: the explanations of an expert
A studio was totally destroyed on Wednesday in Toulouse by an explosion. A scientific police expert examined the damage this Thursday, February 3. The explosion of an aerosol can is considered plausible.
The day after the explosion which completely destroyed a small studio in a building on rue Dardenne in Toulouse, the damage remained spectacular. Broken glass still litters the road in front of the entrance to the building, the two glass doors of which have been covered with cardboard. The blast destroyed them, like the small studio on the first floor where the explosion occurred. Destroyed windows and torn curtains testify to the violence of the shock.
“Everyone ended up in the street. And we especially tried to comfort the student, ”says an angry resident. “Contrary to what you wrote, the building did not need to be consolidated. And this young, very shocked, did not play the little chemist. He explained to us that he had used an aerosol can to clean his computer. Then he turned on his vacuum cleaner and it exploded! »
This explanation, reported at the start of the firefighters’ intervention, was questioned a little later on Wednesday because of the extent of the damage. The blast notably twisted the door of the 1st floor apartment, but also authorized that of a ground floor apartment. An investigation has been opened and assigned to the police of the urban security of the Right Bank. This Thursday, an explosives specialist from the Toulouse forensic science laboratory went on site to examine the extent of the destruction in a building that is not supplied with town gas. His report will not be known for several days but the thesis of the accident would be preferred.
The danger of spray cans
“Aerosol cans use a mixture of propane and butane as an expeller gas, explains an expert near the courts. Under certain conditions, an explosion remains possible, with a destructive blast effect. It depends on the mixture in the air. Then you need a spark. Starting the vacuum cleaner can, in fact, cause the fire…”
Other spectacular accidents have already been observed after aerosol bomb explosions. “When you use them, you really have to avoid enclosed spaces. It is best to ventilate, especially before lighting a cigarette or a light, or plugging in a household appliance,” says the expert.
The victim was hospitalized on Wednesday. She suffered from burns to her face and hands. “This kind of explosion, with the blast effect, can cause damage to the ears, of course, and to the lungs, hence the need for precise examinations”, warns a doctor. The inhabitants of the building hope that the injured student will recover quickly.