Clouds Made 'Pop'... "Excessive Water Vapor Generated" Explosion Accident at Spanish Science Festival

Explosion Accident at Spanish Science Festival
10 Children Aged 3-13 and 8 Adults Injured
"Excessive Steam Generated During Cloud-Making Experiment"

An explosion occurred during an experiment to create clouds at a cultural center in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, injuring 18 people including children. The photo is a reference image of a cloud-making experiment using liquid nitrogen. It is unrelated to the specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Foreign media reported that an explosion occurred during an experiment to create clouds at a science festival in Spain.

According to DPA news agency on the 1st (local time), 18 people, including children, were injured in an explosion that occurred around 7:45 PM the previous day at a cultural center in Girona, Catalonia.

The explosion happened during a science experiment show using liquid nitrogen to create steam clouds. Liquid nitrogen is nitrogen gas compressed under high pressure into a liquid state, maintaining a temperature below -196℃. This experiment appeared to utilize the principle where hot water meets the extremely cold liquid nitrogen, causing steam to condense into tiny droplets that gather to form clouds.

At the time, participants combined a drum containing liquid nitrogen with a container of hot water to trigger a chemical reaction.

However, the drum containing liquid nitrogen exploded, scattering metal container fragments around. As a result, 18 people were injured, including 10 children aged 3 to 13 and 8 adults. Most attendees came as families, and there were many children present at the scene.

The exact cause of the explosion is unknown, but it is presumed to have occurred due to excessive steam generation during the experiment. The University of Girona (UdG), which hosted the festival, issued an apology stating, "Creating clouds with liquid nitrogen and water is a common experiment, but this time it seems that an excessive amount of steam was generated."