11-Year-Old Boy Suffers Second-Degree Burns After Halloween Toy 'Explodes' In Hand

An 11-year-old boy has suffered a serious injury to his hand in Australia after his Halloween-related toy containing gunpowder exploded.

The young boy from High Wycombe, a Perth suburb, was "opening a packet of ring caps to load into his cap gun when several of the capsules exploded," the Government of Western Australia Department of Industry Regulation and Safety said, as reported by 7NEWS Saturday.

Logan Dyson was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of second-degree burns in his right hand, which Western Australia's Consumer Protection described as "serious," according to news.com.au.

"It was a shock, we've used these for years as have thousands of people so for us to have it happen, it was a real shock," his mother Vicki Bowden told 7NEWS.

Consumer Protection launched an investigation into the incident, warning people about Halloween toys, costumes and other accessories.

"There are risks associated with many other Halloween products of which consumers need to be aware before 31 October," the department said in a news release.

According to Consumer Protection official Penny Lipscombe, the department was investigating if this incident was a one-off occurrence or if there was something fundamentally wrong with the product or its packaging that may pose a danger to other buyers.

"We will be reporting the results of our investigation to the ACCC which is the national agency that oversees product safety in Australia. In the meantime, the retailer has voluntarily removed the product from sale both in-store and online," Lipscombe said, according to the news release.

The retailer pulled the dangerous product from shelves in view of the investigation, according to news.com.au.

The authorities also detailed the dangers posed by Halloween-related toys in the news release, warning consumers to be cautious.

"Novelties that light up and flashing objects such as jack-o-lanterns, cauldrons, fake candles, torches and wands are often powered by button batteries and unfortunately the statistics on button batteries are concerning," Lipscombe pointed out.

As per the department, at least one child every month is "seriously injured after swallowing or inserting a button battery, with some of them sustaining lifelong or even fatal injuries." The department further urged parents to check that toys or novelties are age appropriate and don't pose choking hazards to children.

"It's so important when buying button battery-powered Halloween novelties that you check the battery compartment is secured with a screw or similar fastener to prevent little ones gaining access, and that they are hardy enough to withstand rough treatment from little trick-or-treaters," the department added.