A 16-year-old boy has blown his own hand off with a firework at a student celebration.
Horror footage shows the lad sitting on a roof above the entrance to a school with his friend.
He held the firework high above his head in his left hand.
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A few sparks and a puff of smoke came out of the device before it blasted from his grip.
His hand was left mangled and bloody.
The lad looked at what remained of his extremity in a state of shock before he picked himself up and sought help.
The horror unfolded in Victoria, northwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the celebrations for Último Primer Día, or “Last First Day”.
The student tradition is held on the night before the start of the final year of secondary school.
The injured boy was taken to a local hospital.
Local media reported on Wednesday (26 Feb) that he was still in the facility.
It is believed the revellers had been drinking alcohol before the injury, as reported by Need To Know.
The 16-year-old boys hand after it blew off with a firework at a student celebration.(Picture: Jam Press)
After the incident, which happened in the early hours of 24 February, the authorities raided two local shops and seized a number of illegal fireworks.
A by-law prohibits the sale of fireworks to minors and an investigation has been opened into how the teenager obtained the device.
Police chief Martín Tello believes he was “unaware of the dangers of this type of firework”.
Mortar fireworks must be placed on the ground.
Tello added: “It’s unclear whether someone handed him the lit mortar or if he ignited it himself.”
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