Buzz
Have you ever heard about the exploding toilet? No, it's not the start of a bad joke. This really happened, and it's far from the only bizarre explosion in recent years.
These strange explosions aren't just limited to toilets; they’ve involved furniture, animals, household appliances, and a variety of unexpected things. Some causes have been traced, while others remain unsolved. Whether explained or not, the explosions on this list are undeniably unusual.
10. Toads
In 2005, Germany faced a strange issue: exploding toads. These creatures would bloat and then burst. That year, over 1,000 lifeless toads were discovered floating in a pond in Hamburg and also in Denmark. Frank Mutschmann, a Berlin veterinarian, linked the strange event to hungry crows. According to him, the birds pecked out the toads’ livers, and other crows observing the act learned to do the same. In response, the toads inflated as a defense mechanism. The missing liver and the damage to their abdomens caused their blood vessels and lungs to rupture, causing other internal organs to spill out, Mutschmann explained. While unusual, he noted that the phenomenon wasn’t entirely unique. After losing their innards, the toads could survive for several minutes, twitching in pain, according to local environmentalists who witnessed the horrifying deaths.
Hamburg’s Institute for Hygiene and the Environment dismissed disease or fungal infections as causes for the toads’ explosions. Their specialists agreed that Mutschmann’s theory could explain the odd occurrences, but spokesperson Janne Kloepper mentioned that none of their team had seen crows attacking the toads. Other theories about the cause of these bizarre deaths surfaced as well. Some suggested a virus, while others thought that horses from a nearby racetrack might have somehow infected the toads. Another theory was that the amphibians were committing suicide due to overcrowding.
9. Flashlights
In January 2015, Christopher Reid Carrington from Colorado was rummaging through the back of his truck for tools. To free his hands, he held his flashlight in his mouth. Moments later, it exploded, leaving him with third-degree burns on his lip, tongue, and throat. Blood poured from his mouth, and he was unable to speak. His seven-year-old son dialed 911, and Carrington spent four days in the hospital, a tube helping him breathe, before being released. Doctors warned that he might never regain his sense of taste.
In a similar incident on November 7, 2017, in Bradley, Indiana, Caleb Joyner, 36, was injured when a flashlight exploded in his mouth. After encountering car trouble, he had stopped in a parking lot to inspect the hood of his vehicle. The flashlight detonated when, while bending over to get a better view, Joyner got too close to the car's battery. He passed away the following day in a local hospital.
8. Furniture
IKEA customers throughout the United States have reported incidents of glass tables exploding. The furniture shatters on its own. Holly Burns recalled that a “Glasholm” glass-top desk exploded in her teenage son’s room. She was cooking dinner in November 2017 when she heard the desk erupt. The sound was so loud that she thought a tree had crashed onto the roof. The blast scattered glass shards all over the floor and even onto her son’s bed. Fortunately, her son was at school at the time. Burns discovered through online research that she wasn’t the only one with such a strange experience. More than a dozen other people had reported similar incidents, with some even posting videos on YouTube.
According to IKEA, glass can appear to shatter unexpectedly because “Small knocks and fractures over time can weaken the durability of tempered glass.” The company acknowledged that glass explosions can be alarming but reassured customers that such events aren't hazardous because tempered glass is designed to break in a way that minimizes the risk of injury. An expert backed this up, stating that even though tempered glass breaks in a startling manner, unlike plate glass, it is generally safe and “rarely causes cuts, as the edges of each broken piece are rounded.”
7. Manhole Covers
In major cities, electrical systems are designed to prevent power loss from isolated faults. When electrical wiring beneath a street malfunctions, the cables are deactivated, but as the wires burn, they release carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, and acetylene from the insulation. This gas mixture is highly combustible, especially in older wires. When these gases accumulate in sewer tunnels, they reach a “critical mass.” If a spark from an exposed wire ignites them, an explosion occurs.
The situation worsens due to the salt used to melt snow and ice on roads. The salt from melted snow seeps into underground electrical cables, causing their insulation to deteriorate. Eventually, a spark triggers an explosion. The force of the blast can send manhole covers flying into the air, posing a serious risk to pedestrians, drivers, and anyone nearby.
While hundreds of manhole explosions were reported in 2014 alone in New York City, steps are being taken in NYC and other large cities to address these hazards. Older wires are being replaced “as time and funds allow,” some manholes are now equipped with locking covers, and researchers are conducting studies to find ways to keep city residents, workers, tourists, and others safe from the threat of heavy metal manhole covers becoming airborne.
6. Manure
Hog farms in the Midwest can be perilous environments. As early as 2005, manure pits at these farms began producing explosive foam, leading to barn explosions that killed thousands of hogs and caused farmers to lose millions of dollars.
In large-scale operations, pig waste falls through gaps between floor slats into a “catchment pit” below, but other materials also make their way into these pits, including placentas, stillborn or crushed piglets, broken insecticide bottles, antibiotic syringes, and various debris. The antibiotics and growth-promoting drugs that pigs are given also contribute to the mixture. When enough pressure builds up in the pit, pipes connected to the chamber open, releasing its contents into a holding pond.
Explosions are uncommon, but the foam that sometimes causes them is a frequent occurrence. This foam can become toxic as it traps methane and other gases. The agitated foam releases these trapped gases, and methane, being highly explosive, can ignite when exposed to a spark. While researchers remain uncertain about the exact cause of manure foam, they speculate that it might stem from a “new set of [bacteria] species” resulting from “feeding pigs distillers grains.” A controversial temporary solution, according to scientists, is to treat foaming pits with Rumensin, an antibiotic given to cows to enhance meat production and reduce methane emissions.
5. Python
A Burmese python exploded after trying to swallow an alligator that was too large. The snake measured 4 meters (13 feet), while its prey was 1.9 meters (6.3 feet) long. In September 2005, wildlife biologists discovered the remains in Florida’s Everglades National Park, with the back end of the dead alligator protruding from the python’s midsection. The bizarre combination of the reptiles’ bodies made it hard to tell where one animal ended and the other began.
Had it not been for the illegal introduction of pythons as part of the international pet trade, the alligator would not have met such a tragic end. The alligator is native to the Everglades, while the python was introduced to the United States from elsewhere. Young pythons, when purchased, grow rapidly and can reach lengths of 6 meters (20 feet). Many owners abandon these snakes into the wild before they grow to such sizes, and as invasive species, the pythons now pose a threat to the local wildlife.
4. Sunroofs
U.S. senators are now eager to understand how to design cars—or, more specifically, the materials used by automakers to make sunroofs, the design process, and potential defects. This newfound interest was sparked by reports in 2017 of sunroofs exploding. The lawmakers are also curious about whether the automotive industry is keeping track of sunroofs that spontaneously shatter.
“While fortunately, no serious injuries have been officially linked to this issue, the rising frequency of such incidents requires swift action and response,” one senator wrote to car manufacturers. “It is crucial that you take steps to reassure consumers about the structural safety of their sunroofs.”
This concern was prompted by a Consumer Reports investigation which revealed that 859 cases of exploding sunroofs involving 35 car makes and 208 models had been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s complaint database since 1995. The number of incidents was found to have surged following the introduction of larger, popular “panoramic sunroofs.”
3. Whipped Cream Dispenser
French model and lifestyle blogger Rebecca Burger tragically lost her life when a faulty whipped cream dispenser exploded in June 2017. The dispenser hit her chest, triggering cardiac arrest. It appears that defective connectors on the device’s gas capsules may have been the cause of the malfunction.
There have been similar incidents dating back to 2010, where victims experienced broken teeth, fractured bones, and even the loss of an eye due to these accidents.
2. Washing Machine
The washing cycle seemed unusually prolonged, and the machine began emitting a strange 'high, howl, whistling noise,' according to Van Beck. Otherwise, there were no signs of malfunction: 'There was no burning smell. It wasn’t overheating. None of that was happening. It just simply exploded,' she said. Despite difficulty in reaching a response from Whirlpool, the company eventually agreed to replace her washer and dryer with new units.
1. Toilets
Michel Pierre, a 58-year-old New Yorker, has such a deep fear of his toilet that he uses a rope tied to the tank’s handle to flush it from a safe distance, standing outside his Brooklyn co-op’s bathroom. His fear is justified. On October 2, 2013, he and three other tenants from the 19-story Caton Tower in Flatbush were injured by 'powerful blasts from their bowls.'
Pierre required 30 stitches to treat the wounds caused by the porcelain shrapnel to his head, arms, and legs. Knocked out by the blast, he awoke covered in his own blood.
The water had been turned off for the installation of a backflow prevention valve by a plumbing contractor. The explosions were believed to have been caused by a dangerous buildup of air pressure within the pipes. Pierre is now suing the building’s management company. His attorney argues that his client deserves compensation for his injuries. 'Toilets are meant to flush, not explode,' the lawyer asserted.
What happened to Pierre is a potential hazard for millions of other Americans and Canadians. In August 2012, both the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada initiated a voluntary recall of toilets produced by Flushmate after the company received 304 reports regarding these hazardous toilets. The recall highlighted 'laceration risks,' as the weld seam of the toilet’s vessel could rupture, releasing enough pressure to explode the tank and send the lid flying, which could result in injuries or property damage. Flushmate voluntarily cooperated in the recall process.
