Elevator door opens, two \’prank\’ balloons frighten owner

On the morning of September 23, Mr. Zhou, a citizen, took the elevator in the community to go out. The moment the elevator door opened, two balloons floated up and down in the elevator room, and Mr. Zhou was Startled. Mr. Zhou suspected that the two balloons were filled with hydrogen and appeared in a relatively closed space like the elevator, which could easily cause safety hazards. Mr. Zhou hopes that exposing this matter will arouse the safety awareness of property owners, so that the property management can strengthen inspections and supervision.

Two balloons were floating in the corner of the elevator, frightening the owner

At around 10 a.m. on September 23, Mr. Zhou, the owner of Building 3 of Evergrande Four Seasons Shangdong Phase 1, Zhongshan District, was about to take the elevator downstairs. The moment the elevator door opened, he was startled. \”I saw two heart-shaped balloons floating up and down. I thought there were children in the corner of the elevator, but when I got on the elevator I found no one.\”

Mr. Zhou recalled that the two balloons were heart-shaped and floated in the elevator. It is wrapped with two colored wires, and two white devices fall off the floor of the elevator room below. \”The two balloons are opaque in color, one is pink and the other is silver. The balloon is surrounded by two very thin colored lines, and there are two white switch controls underneath. It looks like a wedding room or birthday party, fixed in The kind of balloons that can glow on the wall as decoration”

Mr. Zhou said that although it was daytime, two floating balloons suddenly appeared in front of him. It still scared him into a cold sweat. \”As a man, I can be scared in broad daylight, let alone the elderly, children and lesbians. If the light is not good at night,Well, it would be scarier if the light on the balloon lit up. ”

The owner suspects that the hydrogen balloon may pose a safety hazard

Mr. Zhou\’s preliminary analysis suggested that the two balloons may be filled with hydrogen. \”Our community is under closed management. Except for takeaways and couriers, it is difficult for outsiders to enter the community. There have been no weddings or banquets in the community recently. I judge that the owners in the community may have left them in the elevator. ”

Mr. Zhou said that when autumn comes, if people wear chemical fiber clothes to generate static electricity, hydrogen balloons will explode in confined spaces such as elevators. The consequences are unimaginable. “The more I think about it, the more I am afraid. I hope this matter will be exposed and serve as a warning to all property owners and citizens. ”

Hydrogen balloons pose safety risks, and injuries occur from time to time

Reporters searched the Internet and found that news of hydrogen balloon explosions and injuries in various places are common.

On February 24, 2018, a hydrogen balloon in the hands of a vendor suddenly exploded, and flames shot out three to four meters high! Injuring a young man and a two-year-old girl.

On February 14, 2019, in Xingping, Shaanxi, one of the people was holding a dozen hydrogen balloons. As the elevator was going up, the balloon suddenly exploded. All six people in the elevator, including Mr. Yang, were burned.

At about 5 o\’clock in the morning on November 1, 2020, in a KTV elevator on Jiefang West Road, Changsha, Hunan, a man took out a lighter and tried to burn the knotted rope because the balloon rope was knotted, but he lit the rope on fire. The hydrogen balloon exploded at the moment, and a fire broke out in the elevator room. The accident caused varying degrees of burns to the five people in the elevator.

Physics key teacher:

Initial judgment is that it is a helium balloon, and it is not recommended to carry it in the elevator Inflatable balloon

The reporter contacted several balloon sellers through a well-known shopping platform and asked customer service staff about the gas in the balloons. The customer service staff all said that the gas was helium and that hydrogen balloons were relatively dangerous and should not be sold. .

On the afternoon of September 23, the reporter contacted Wang Mangang, a key teacher of Dalian No. 1 Middle School with more than 20 years of physics teaching experience. According to the information provided by Mr. Zhou According to relevant videos and pictures, teacher Wang Mangang initially judged that the two balloons were helium balloons. \”The gas in most balloons sold on the market is hydrogen or helium. Hydrogen is flammable and explosive and is relatively cheap. If it comes into contact with an open flame, it is prone to explosion and other dangers; helium is relatively safe and relatively expensive. Whether it is It is not recommended to carry inflatable balloons on public transportation, elevators, or private cars.”

Wang Manggang said that if the balloons filled with floating gas are not properly controlled, they may cause serious consequences such as electric shock when passing through telephone poles and lightning weather conditions. Wang Manggang suggested that consumers should ask the merchant in advance whether the gas in the balloon is hydrogen or helium before purchasing, and try not to choose hydrogen balloons.

Peninsula Morning News, 39 Degrees Video Reporter Xiao Yan