Boy (10) finds phosphorus cups - severe burns on his hands
Created: 08/12/2022, 14:03
By: Catherine Brumbauer
In a large-scale operation: The Grainau, Partenkirchen and Garmisch fire brigades and the rescue service move out to the young farmer's school in Grainau with around 200 men.
© Thomas Very
A participant of a holiday camp found a rusty can in the Eibsee on Thursday.
It is a phosphorous beaker from World War II that he takes with him to his accommodation in Grainau.
The chemical ignites there and the boy burns himself badly.
200 rescue workers arrive.
Grainau – The sirens sound from all directions.
The howl of sirens on Thursday evening around 6 p.m. heralds a large-scale operation.
Around 200 people from the Grainau, Partenkirchen and Garmisch fire brigades and the rescue service are deployed to the Grainau Young Farmers' School.
The fire alarm went off around 5:52 p.m.
The background was initially unclear.
As it turned out at the scene, one room had started to smoke.
In contact with oxygen, phosphorus ignites - boy (10) burns his hands, girl (9) suffers a slight shock
"A ten-year-old participant in a holiday camp found a phosphorus cup from the Second World War and took it to the accommodation," said the police headquarters in Upper Bavaria South on Friday morning.
The boy discovered the rusty can in the shallow water on a trip to the Eibsee.
After he brought her to his room, she suddenly started smoking.
Phosphorus ignites and smokes on contact with oxygen, which is why the chemical has been used in incendiary bombs and flash and smoke grenades.
When the finder tried to carry the cup outside, he suffered severe burns on his hands.
He was taken to a hospital.
A nine-year-old girl suffered a slight shock from the excitement.
She also spent the night in the hospital.
The phosphorus can burns out completely.
© Police Headquarters Upper Bavaria South
According to the police, the phosphorus cup came from American stocks.
Due to the smoke development, the seminar house had to be completely evacuated.
No one was injured by the toxic gases.
"The residents were then unable to return to the accommodation because the building was partially contaminated by the phosphorus smoke," said a spokesman for the police headquarters in Upper Bavaria South.
The extent of the contamination is still under investigation.
Children and caregivers of the holiday camp leave - young farmer school evacuated due to contamination with toxic phosphorus gases
The supervisors of the holiday camp, together with the Red Cross and the fire brigade, informed the relatives of the boys and girls and arranged for them to be taken home.
The group of 70 gathered at the ice rink.
Children and carers who could not be picked up immediately were temporarily accommodated elsewhere.
The permanent criminal service of the Weilheim Criminal Police Inspectorate is investigating.
For the moment, no other phosphorus cups have been found around the Eibsee, the police said.
"A search of the site has so far been unsuccessful."