35 injured in school explosion in Chilean capital

SANTIAGO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — At least 35 students were injured, four of them critically, in an explosion inside a school in the Chilean capital caused by the handling of explosive devices within the institution.
Lieutenant Colonel Fernando Albornoz of the militarized police explained that on Wednesday morning, a group of students at the Barros Arana National Boarding School was preparing explosive devices for a protest when one of the devices detonated.
He added that the injured students were taken to different hospitals, and a teacher also required medical attention due to a health crisis.
Rafael Borgono, the medical director of the Mutual de Seguridad Hospital, told local media that out of the five patients admitted to the hospital, “four are currently in critical condition with various burns, and one is in serious condition.”
Gonzalo Duran, the presidential delegate for the Metropolitan Region, emphasized to the media the importance of determining whether individuals from outside the student community were involved.
“We have spoken with the Minister of the Interior, Carolina Toha, to evaluate the possibility of filing a criminal complaint against those found responsible,” Duran added.
He described the incident as “extremely serious,” highlighting both the “severe harm” to the injured students and the nature of the events. ■