Boy suffers horrific facial injuries after industrial firework 'Onion Bomb' goes off in his face

A 10-year-old boy has suffered 'horrific' injuries after an industrial firework blew up in his face.

The boy, who was playing with a friend at the time, has not been named at the request of his mother.

She today released an image of the injured boy in a hospital bed, his face covered by a mask, in order to warn children of the dangers of being injured in a similar way.

The boy suffered serious burns after playing with the firework in the street in Salford, Greater Manchester.

The mother of one of the boy's friends, who was also injured in the incident, called for fireworks to be banned.

Speaking to the Daily Mail she said: 'He was outside a shop doing ‘penny for a guy’ with his mates when I went to the shops. Next thing I knew he was ringing me screaming saying a firework exploded and he’d burnt his face."

'He was hysterical with the pain and they put him on morphine when we got to the hospital. He’s lost his hair, eyebrows and eyelashes and got burns on his hands, his skin is peeling off.'

Fire crews were called to Cumbrae Gardens at around midday today after reports that a firework had exploded in a child's face, a spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said.

The firework involved was a so-called 'Onion Bomb', which is not on sale to the general public and is only generally used in professional displays.

Station Manager Dave Hughes said: "We were told they were holding an industrial firework, another child lit it and it blew up in their face.

"An incident like this really brings home how dangerous fireworks are and it's heartbreaking for all those involved. We need to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else."

He added: "We need parents to know where their children are and make sure they are not playing with fireworks.

"There are many organised events taking place in Greater Manchester this weekend, please enjoy fireworks safely by going to one of them."

A fire service spokesman said the boy had suffered horrific injuries and that his mother was desperate that it should not happen to another child. An investigation has started to discover how the firework came to be in the community in the first place.

Area Manager Geoff Harris, Head of Protection at GMFRS, said: "We are extremely interested in how this firework ended up in a street where children were able to play with it.

"We need to take action and prevent further fireworks from getting into the wrong hands.

"They are not on general sale for a very good reason and we do not want anybody else getting injured."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.