Chinese Woman Eats Firecracker After Mistaking It For Candy, Suffers Injuries

A woman in China suffered mouth injuries after she ate a firecracker after misidentifying it as a milk confectionery. The woman, surnamed Wu, hailing from Chengdu in Sichuan province, took to Chinese social media platforms to share her harrowing experience whilst raising the issue of misleading packaging, as per a report in South China Morning Post.

As per Wu, the packaging of a specific type of firecracker, commonly known as shuang pao in China, closely resembles that of milk candies. Her younger brother brought the firecracker in question but Wu believed it was the candy. This innocuous mistake led her to consume the firecracker which exploded unexpectedly, resulting in mouth injuries.

Notably, shuang pao, which translates to "smash firecracker" is able to ignite without the use of flame. It can explode with a loud pop when dropped on the ground or by applying pressure, which in Wu's case, happened when she tried to chew it using her teeth. The firecracker is popular in the country and is often used during weddings, parties and gatherings, especially during the Lunar New Year.

"I was watching TV at home with the lights off in the living room when my brother returned with a bag of snacks. I thought it resembled the taro milk candies I enjoyed as a child, so I opened one and put it in my mouth. That is when it exploded," Wu wrote.

"At that moment, I was stunned. To be honest, I did not feel any pain; I just detected the smell of gunpowder in my mouth. Perhaps I was numb because, despite the explosion, I felt no discomfort while eating or brushing my teeth," she added.

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Blood stains

Photos shared by Wu showed that the firecrackers were wrapped in a plastic film and covered with aluminium foil. The images of her mouth showed visible blood stains but it remains uncertain whether she sought medical treatment.

"Shouldn't these firecrackers be packaged in a box?" Wu questioned.

After she posted her experiences, scores of social media also agreed that the capsule-like packaging was misleading and demanded authorities to issue a directive.