A 5-year-old boy died in an explosion at a medical facility in Troy, Mich., on Friday, Jan. 31, according to the Troy Fire Department.
The young child, whose identity has not been revealed, was in a hyperbaric chamber at The Oxford Center, on 165 Kirts Blvd. in Troy, Mich. According to the Mayo Clinic, a hyperbaric chamber “increases the delivery of oxygen to the body by providing pure oxygen in an enclosed space with higher than normal air pressure” and is typically used for tissues damaged by injury or disease. The authorities did not release why the child was receiving oxygen therapy.
At 7:54 a.m. Friday, the Troy Fire and Police Departments responded to a call that a hyperbaric chamber exploded with a child inside. Once first responders arrived, it was determined the boy was deceased inside the chamber. The fire was contained to the room where the explosion occurred, Troy Fire Department Lt. Ken Young said in a Friday press conference.
The boy’s mother was standing next to the chamber and injured her arms, Troy Police Department Lt. Ben Hancock said in the press conference.
“A hyperbaric chamber contains 100 percent oxygen, which is up to three times the amount of oxygen than a normal room. The presence of such a high amount of oxygen in a pressurized environment can make it extremely combustible,” per the Troy Fire Department. “Our initial research shows that this type of incident is uncommon.”
An investigation into the explosion has begun.
The Oxford Center is an alternative medical center that offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy for conditions that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, bells palsy, epilepsy, ADD, COVID-19, depression, Alzheimer’s, alopecia, HIV/AIDS, strokes, migraine headaches, diabetes, Parkinson’s and many more.
The Oxford Center spokesman Andrew Kistner told The Detroit Free Press that Friday was an “exceptionally difficult day for all of us.”
“The safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority. Nothing like this has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy,” Kistner said. “We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Representatives for the Troy Fire and Police Departments and The Oxford Center did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.
Read the full article here