Tragedy in Michigan: 5-Year-Old Boy Dies in Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion
A devastating explosion at a suburban Detroit medical facility Friday morning claimed the life of a 5-year-old boy and left his mother injured.
The child was undergoing treatment inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at the Oxford Centre in Troy when the pressurised device suddenly exploded around 8 a.m. His mother, standing nearby, suffered injuries to her arms.
Emergency crews arrived to find the chamber engulfed in flames. Despite efforts to save him, the child was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother’s condition has not yet been released.
What Caused the Blast?
Officials say hyperbaric chambers contain pure oxygen at high pressure—making them highly combustible. But explosions like this are extremely rare.
“We don’t know yet what led up to this,” said Troy Fire Lt. Keith Young. “Nothing like this has ever happened here before.”
Medical Staff in Shock
Staff members were in the room during the incident but were not injured. The Oxford Center, which has provided hyperbaric therapy for over 15 years, said it will cooperate fully with the investigation.
Authorities have now turned the case over to state investigators. The cause of the explosion remains unknown.
