Woman Suffers Severe Burns After Birthday Balloon Touches Candle & Bursts Into Flames
Despite her pain, she decided to share her story to raise awareness.
By May Vin Ang — 24 Feb 2025, 05:08 PM
A Vietnamese woman recently took to social media to share how her birthday celebration turned into a nightmare when a balloon exploded in her face
In a Facebook post on 20 February, Giang Pham recounted the traumatic incident, admitting it took her days to find the courage to speak about it.
Despite her pain, she decided to share her story to raise awareness about the dangers of balloons filled with highly-compressed gas near open flames.
"It's been six days now, and I've finally calmed down enough to upload this video to warn others," she wrote. "This is something no one ever wants to experience, but I hope my story helps prevent similar accidents."
In the video, Pham is seen happily dancing with a birthday cake in one hand and balloons in the other, when one of the balloons drifts too close to a candle and bursts into flames
A loud blast is heard as Pham screams, instinctively covering her face with both hands before running away.
According to local news outlet Hai Duong News, Pham suffered first- and second-degree burns on her face from the explosion.
"I cried all day, unsure of how my life and career would be affected by burns on my face," she shared.
However, doctors reassured that while the injuries may take months to heal, they were unlikely to leave permanent scars.
Pham later discovered that the balloons she was holding had been filled with hydrogen gas, a cheaper but highly flammable and dangerous alternative to helium
However, counting her blessings, she noted that the balloons decorating the restaurant ceiling were filled with regular air, preventing an even larger fire.
"If those balloons had also contained hydrogen, the fire could have been much worse. If I had known, I would never have put myself in such a dangerous situation," she said.
"I hope that through my accident, people will understand and be more careful when using balloons," she added.
