Prediction of injuries caused by explosive events: A case study of a hand grenade incident in South Africa

Abstract

An M26 hand grenade was accidentally detonated by a group of eight children, six of whom were killed, in the Mthatha area of South Africa. The M26 grenade is designed to produce casualties through the high velocity fragments that it expels. However, if one is close enough to the grenade primary blast injuries will occur in addition to penetration injuries caused by the fragments. Simulations were conducted to obtain pressure profiles that could be produced by the explosive charge contained in the grenade. Injury predictions were then made, using currently available injury criteria and compared to one another and to the actual injuries that were sustained by the children. The validity of currently available pressure-based injury criteria to predict injuries when the subject is in very close proximity to the explosive charge is still unknown. Further such case studies and research into injury mechanisms and injury criteria are necessary to enable injuries caused by explosive events to be accurately predicted. This will allow improved protection strategies against explosive events to be developed