Explosive Misstep: Student Activism Erupts in Tragedy at Chilean High School

A homemade firebomb exploded in a Chilean high school, injuring 35 students. The incident occurred while students were making Molotov cocktails for a planned protest. Eleven were seriously injured, with burns affecting their respiratory systems. The explosion highlights the country's history of student activism.

A homemade firebomb exploded at a public high school in Santiago, Chile, injuring at least 35 students, several of whom are in critical condition, according to firefighters.

Police reported that students were creating Molotov cocktails in the bathroom for a protest when the firebomb detonated unexpectedly. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.

A total of eleven students from Barros Arana National Boarding School are hospitalized with serious injuries affecting their respiratory systems. While the remaining students suffered minor burns, a teacher who attempted to assist them collapsed during the chaos. Quick actions by firefighters contained the fire and secured the area, with roadblocks set up around the school.

The students had planned a street demonstration later that day, reflecting Chile's active tradition of student protest. The country has seen major student-driven social unrest in past years, notably in 2011 and 2019, as students rallied for political reforms against the government and business elites.

(With inputs from agencies.)