[iloveit1995]

A Grade 12 student has died after a blast rocked a shop class at Mother Teresa Catholic High School in Barrhaven Thursday as students worked on year-end projects.

Eric Leighton, 18, was helping build a barbecue out of a 55-gallon barrel, according to a witness who was in the class. As the students cut into the steel cylinder just before 11 a.m., it exploded.

Leighton was knocked unconscious and left covered with debris, bleeding profusely from his mouth.

He was found without vital signs but paramedics resuscitated him en route to the Civic hospital, where he clung to life all day Thursday until finally succumbing to his injuries in the evening.

Leighton was described by friend Jonathan Morales Thursday as the class clown who was well known in school for his talents in hockey and lacrosse.

“Eric is that outgoing type of guy,” Morales said shortly after the explosion.

“When I found out I was completely crushed and shocked. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Fellow student James Armstrong was in another part of the shop when the blast occurred.

“We were making barbecues out of these barrels and there was an explosion,” he said.

“I didn’t see anything because I was behind a truck working on the tires. All I hear is just this huge explosion coming from the other room.”

Besides Leighton, eight people were injured. Four students suffered minor injuries and, along with a 33-year-old teacher, were all taken to hospital with “concussive” type injuries but they are all expected to recover. The other three were treated on scene.

There were 16 students and one teacher in the classroom at the time.

Student Lauren O’Grady was just outside the shop when the blast occurred.

“There was a spark that came off and it ignited a giant oil barrel,” she said pointing to a green steel barrel used as a garbage can. “The impact from the barrel was so big that our friend was knocked unconscious.

Ottawa police said that fumes from oil residue in the barrel ignited, causing the explosion.

It’s not clear how a barrel containing dangerously explosive vapours ended up in the school in the first place and why students were handling it.

Catholic board spokeswoman Mardi deKemp said she was unaware whether students brought in the barrels, or if they were school supplies.

“That’s not information we know right now,” she said.

Mother Teresa was evacuated after the blast and students walked to nearby Longfields-Davidson high school, where they were met by school buses at 1:15 p.m. to take them home.

The school board has called in crisis counsellors and incident specialists to attend to students’ needs.

-- with files from Larissa Cahute

[wickedqueenwicker]

Pretty typical. I'm gone for like two months and the first link I click is a damn news story.

[ladypilgrim]

"It’s not clear how a barrel containing dangerously explosive vapours ended up in the school in the first place and why students were handling it."


WTF!

[DI2010]

Darwin taking care of thangs.

[King Herald]

Originally Posted by ladypilgrim ↗

"It’s not clear how a barrel containing dangerously explosive vapours ended up in the school in the first place and why students were handling it."


WTF!

'Dangerously explosive' my arse. A barrel with dregs of diesel fuel in will explode if they get it warm with a disc cutter or similar, evaporate the fuel, get the correct air/fuel ratio, more powerful than gasoline: apply a spark....

BOOOOOOOMMMMMM

[Ballerina]

What's this shit? I want some god damn pictures! If I want to look at cop cars I can look out my damn living room window into the parking lot.

[Tommy062870]

ummm epic fail ( on this post too )

[smackem]

Originally Posted by chytown79 ↗

What's this shit? I want some god damn pictures! If I want to look at cop cars I can look out my damn living room window into the parking lot.

It's not always about you, now is it?

[Pelle]

Who the fuck is Erik Leighton?

[chefbob09]

at least there's one less guy for the priests to get hold of