Hydrogen Balloon Explosion
An explosion occurred while inflating a balloon with hydrogen gas. The News reported the involvement of the hydrogen bottle.
Event Date
January 16, 2011
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
From the scarce information available and the comparison with similar events, different factors may have contributed, such as malfunctioning of the cylinder valve, gas bottle ageing, lack of maintenance and untrained operators.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
balloon, hydrogen gas bottle
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Inhabited Area
Operational Condition
Pre-event Summary
The accident took place during a public gathering
Consequences
Number of Injured Persons
1
Property Loss (onsite)
Total loss of vehicle. Driver had two fingers broken.Front side of the vehicle seriously damaged. FC stack has received a shock and cannot be re-used.
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Unknown
Release Type
Release Substance
Hydrogen Release Concentration (%)
100.00
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References