[kellyhound]

A huge bunch of balloons burst into a ball of fire after sparks from firecrackers punctured them just before release during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s weeklong birthday celebrations here injuring a number of people, police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred when BJP members, all set to release the balloons, burst firecrackers while garlanding a farmers wing state level office-bearer, Muthuraman at Padi on Friday.

The BJP is celebrating Modi’s birthday (September 17) as “Seva Saptah” for a week.

Sparks, that emanated from the crackers punctured the balloons and in a trice they burst into a huge ball of fire, prompting party workers to take to their heels and the blaze dissipated in moments, police said.

The BJP members had planned to release a hundred hydrogen filled balloons into the air and the mild explosion caused minor injuries to a number of people who were admitted to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for treatment,they said.

Since the event was held without permission, the Korattur police booked a case against the organisers.

While the party cadres were holding hundreds of balloons filled with hydrogen gas, sparks from firecrackers hit some balloons and in no time all balloons burst leading to a fire, police said.

Meanwhile,a case was booked against BJP state unit chief L Murugan and others for taking out a “chariot ride” in violation of prohibitory orders clamped in view of the coronavirus pandemic and for alleged “unlawful” assembly.

Also, a case was registered for putting up illegal banners,they added.

[Splay]

Balloons filled with an explosively flammable gas, fireworks, and a crowd of people. What could possibly go wrong? The organizers should be forced to finish fucking high school.

[wujuan]

[William May]

When I was in China, there was a guy in a park, selling rides on a strangely small balloon. Brilliant guy that I am, I soon deduced that it was a hydrogen balloon, the reason it's size was so small for carrying a man. A helium balloon would have been twice the size, and a hot air balloon, 5 times the size.
The U.S. Balloon Corps used hydrogen balloons in the Civil War, with a perfect record. You just have to keep idiots with firecrackers away from them. The Confederates holed them with bullets, but they never ignited.
P.D.Q Bach did a concert series, and the terminating orchestral piece was: L.Z. 129 "Hindenburg Concerto".
It ended with a bang, of course!

[William May]

"Oh, The Humanity!!"