Dozens of teenage students have been seriously injured after a Molotov cocktail exploded at a boarding school.
Four of them are in a critical condition.
Some pupils were preparing the incendiary weapon in a school toilet when it suddenly went off.
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They intended to use the petrol bomb during a street protest later that day, but it accidentally detonated in the school loo.
A fire then broke out in the prestigious Barros Arana National Boarding School in the Chilean capital Santiago yesterday (23 Oct.
Disturbing footage shows several students with shocking burns injuries as the flames spread throughout the educational institution.
Over 35 students aged between 14 and 18 have been injured.
According to the authorities, 11 teens are hospitalised in a serious condition while four are in a life-threatening condition.
Police spokesperson Colonel Fernando Albornoz said the four most affected students “remain in critical condition with burns of between 20% and 30% to their respiratory tract.”
“The rest of the injured students apparently have superficial wounds and burns at this time,” he added.
One teacher reportedly collapsed while trying to help the stricken students.
Albornoz explained: “In the morning, an undetermined number of students were inside the school, preparing to leave the premises to cause disorder and throw blunt objects and explosive devices.
“For reasons still unknown, these devices exploded.”
Fire teams were dispatched to the school along with 18 ambulances.
Inside the bathroom, firefighters found traces of various materials used to make explosive devices, as reported by Need To Know.
The investigation into the blaze is ongoing.
In Chile, universities and high schools have a history of activism spanning many decades.
In 2011 and 2019, hundreds of students, including those from the Barros Arana National Boarding School, protested against the government and business elites to demand political reform.
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