Boy fighting for his life after bamboo cannon explodes

KUCHING: A teenage boy from Beratok is fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after a mishap while playing with a bamboo cannon resulted in burns on 95 per cent of his body.

The incident took place around 1am yesterday when the 13-year-old victim and several friends gathered at an open space in Beratok to fire the device without the knowledge of his family.

According to the boy’s father, one of his son’s friends called him to inform him that they had rushed his teenage son to Serian District Hospital after an ‘explosion’ occurred.

“Some sort of explosion occurred while they were playing with a bamboo cannon. The seven friends who were with him gave me different versions of what took place,” said the middle-age father when met at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) where his son was warded in ICU after being referred by Serian District Hospital.

Meanwhile, Padawan District police chief Supt Aidil Bolhassan said a report had yet to be made over the incident.

In another explosive incident, a 40-year-old man from Taman Sumber Alam Sanctuary in Petra Jaya suffered 65 per cent burns on his back in an explosion caused by a leaking gas cylinder in his kitchen early yesterday.

He was said to be checking on the gas leak in the kitchen when the explosion occurred around 12.40am.

The victim sustained burns on his back and had the hair on his head and eyebrows singed.

The explosion also brought down the kitchen’s roof but did not cause a fire.

Immediately after the incident, a nextdoor neighbour came to the aid of the still-conscious victim and rushed him to SGH where he was admitted.

According to the neighbour, the victim said he was detaching the cylinder head, which he does every night, when the explosion took place.

“He suspected a gas leak but was unsure what triggered the explosion,” said the neighbour when met in hospital.

Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) were at the victim’s house to ensure the situation did not pose a threat to other homes in the area.