TRIGGER WARNING
⚠️ Fire, burns, and injury. Viewer discretion is advised. ⚠️
What was meant to be a joyous birthday celebration quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal for a Vietnamese woman when a bunch of decorative balloons suddenly burst into flames, leaving her with severe burns on her face and body.
Birthday joy turns into horror
The incident was captured in a video shared by Facebook user Giang Pham on Feb 20, showing the moment the woman, dressed in a red dress, was happily holding a cake with lit candles and a cluster of balloons bearing her name.
Just as she swayed along to the birthday song, one of the largest balloons in her right hand accidentally came into contact with the candle flame.
In a split second, the balloon exploded into a massive fireball, sending flames shooting up to the ceiling.
Screams erupted as the woman clutched her face in agony before rushing to the restroom to douse herself with water.
Suffered burns to face, arms, and neck
The woman was later rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed she had suffered first- and second-degree burns on her face, forehead, chin, arms, and neck.
Six days after the incident, she finally felt calm enough to share her experience, hoping it would serve as a warning to others.
“I never imagined something like this would happen, but since it did, I want to share it so that others can avoid the same fate,” she said.
Doctors estimate that it will take her between four to six months for her skin to fully recover.
The woman explained that compressed gas inside balloons can be extremely dangerous when exposed to heat, as the explosion’s force is much stronger than people might expect.
She also pointed out how lucky she was that only one of the balloons contained hydrogen gas.
“If all of them had been filled with hydrogen, the explosion could’ve been much worse—maybe even burning down the whole restaurant.”
As a precaution, she urged party-goers and businesses to be more mindful of the type of balloons they use, especially in environments with open flames.
Helium vs Hydrogen balloons
Balloons commonly found in the market are either filled with helium or hydrogen, both of which make them float.
However, helium balloons are much safer, as helium is an inert gas that does not ignite or explode. But Helium is expensive, making helium-filled balloons a pricier choice.
Hydrogen, on the other hand, is highly flammable and can explode upon contact with an open flame, static electricity, or excessive heat.
