Teen Burned In Battery Explosion At NJ High School

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — A 14-year-old student at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School was taken to the hospital on Friday after they were burned during an explosion in the hallway, Scotch Plains Police said.

At around 1:05 p.m., officials were notified that a fire alarm went off in the school. They arrived and found that a portable power bank battery charger had exploded while in the pocket of a student who was walking in the hall near the main cafeteria.

The fire was quickly extinguished, and the student was treated immediately by school staff and emergency responders, according to authorities.

The teen had partial-thickness burns to their leg and was taken to the burn center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

The Union County Fire Investigator's Office and the Union County HAZMAT team both assisted at the school. The building did not sustain any significant damage.

The device was recovered and secured as part of the review into what caused the explosion. The cause has yet to be determined.

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