The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reported a 46-year-old man suffered multiple burns after a sandblaster exploded in a Quebrada Honda home on PR-181
- El Nuevo Día said the 9-1-1 call came at 12:42 p.m. and the man was using a pressurized-sand tool to remove paint
- Primera Hora reported the victim was intubated after receiving first aid and flown by air ambulance to Centro Médico in Río Piedras
- Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the explosion occurred in barrio Quebrada Arena while the man operated a sandblaster for paint removal
Incident details
A 46-year-old man sustained serious burns in an explosion that occurred on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in a residence at kilometer 11 of PR-181 in the Quebrada Honda sector of San Lorenzo, Metro Puerto Rico reported. The explosion involved a sandblaster tool he was using to remove paint. Police said the circumstances remain under investigation.
The Comandancia de Caguas press office told El Nuevo Día that the 9-1-1 emergency call was received at approximately 12:42 p.m. The man suffered burns to various parts of his body and was described as being in delicate condition. Primera Hora reported that he received first aid, was intubated and is to be transported by air ambulance to the Centro Médico de Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Caguas travel guide
Response and investigation
According to Telemundo Puerto Rico, the victim’s condition was described as grave and he will be taken by air ambulance to the Centro Médico in Río Piedras. Agents from the San Lorenzo police district are in charge of the investigation, Metro Puerto Rico said.
All four outlets described the tool involved as a sandblaster used for paint removal, though they gave slightly different names for the neighborhood: Quebrada Honda (Metro, El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora) versus Quebrada Arena (Telemundo).
Where the sources differ
All four sources agree on the victim’s age (46), the town (San Lorenzo), the tool (sandblaster used to remove paint), the destination hospital (Centro Médico in Río Piedras) and that the man suffered serious or multiple burns. They differ on the exact neighborhood name: Metro Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora say Quebrada Honda while Telemundo says Quebrada Arena. El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora give the precise 12:42 p.m. emergency-call time; the others refer only to Tuesday afternoon. Primera Hora alone mentions that the victim was intubated.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the man’s name, whether anyone else was present in the residence, the precise cause of the sandblaster explosion, the exact extent or degree of the burns, any estimated cost of damage, or what immediate steps police or fire officials took at the scene beyond first aid and arranging air transport.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Hombre resulta con quemaduras graves tras explosión en San Lorenzo
- Reporting Hombre sufre quemaduras tras explosión en una residencia en San Lorenzo
- Reporting Hombre sufre quemaduras graves tras explosión en San Lorenzo
- Reporting Explosión en una residencia en San Lorenzo deja un hombre herido
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora and Telemundo Puerto Rico all reported the Tuesday afternoon explosion and the man’s air-ambulance transport to Centro Médico. Details about the exact time, intubation and neighborhood spelling rest on individual outlets.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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