A college student who tried to recreate a scene from the film The Mist burned his hands and legs when he sprayed mosquito repellent at a burning towel in an effort to create a homemade “blowtorch.”
According to the 20-year-old student, surnamed Sun (孫), the accident occurred when he attempted to recreate a scene for the movie on Tuesday at his home in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Sindian District (新店).
He first set a towel on fire and then sprayed insect repellent toward the flame, he said.
However, the oil element in the liquid sprayer further that he had expected fueled the blaze and created a big and more intense fire, causing Sun to sustain burns.
Sun was rushed to the Cardinal Tien Hospital for emergency treatment, after his family reported the case to the local fire department at about 6pm the same day.
In the ambulance, Sun was unable to talk and identify himself because of the severe pain caused by his burn injuries, which he said were the results of his “stupidity.”
As Sun’s injuries proved to be second-degree burn wounds of moderate sizes — mostly on his hands and right thigh — he was no longer in a critical condition after receiving timely medical treatment.
Hung Ming-yang (洪明陽), head of the Sindian Unit of the fire department’s Fourth Battalion, said that since most movie scenes are created by using special effects, the public should not try to imitate them and so avoid causing major disasters.
“Pressurised containers such as pesticides and mosquito repellents contain flammable substances and should be kept away from fire,” Hung said.
“Sun was lucky that he did not cause a more destructive accident, or he may not only have been charged with offenses against public safety, but it could also have cost him his life or even the lives of other people,” he added.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS