Both eyes burnt

Hobby artist (53) injured in metal explosion

A 53-year-old man suffered burns to his upper body, neck, face and even his eyes in Frohnleiten on Saturday evening. He had been melting aluminum to form art objects when the metal explosion occurred. The Christophorus 17 rescue helicopter flew him to Graz Regional Hospital.

It was around half past four on Saturday evening when a 53-year-old man was pursuing his hobby of forging art objects in the garden of his house in Frohnleiten (district of Graz-Umgebung). He was melting aluminum ingots with a gas-air furnace in order to process them further.

Face and upper body burnt
But suddenly there was a metal explosion - water had dripped from the trees onto the heated aluminum. The man was burned in both eyes, on his face, neck and upper body. The Red Cross took him to Graz Regional Hospital in the Christophorus 17 rescue helicopter.