Sharjah: Five teenagers were hospitalised on Sunday night after the cigarette lighter they were sniffing butane gas from exploded, said Sharjah Police.
The Arab teens, who were using the fumes to get high inside a parked car with the windows up, suffered severe burns from the explosion.
Police received a call at 8.53pm to say a fire had broken out in a parking lot in Al Majaz.
Firefighters from Al Mina and Al Nahda stations arrived to find a burnt vehicle and the five injured teens.
They were taken to the hospital where officials notified police who registered a case.
Butane is a volatile solvent that can be flammable when it changes from liquid to gas at room temperature.
The car was badly damaged and the youths were treated for serious injuries, said a hospital official.
One, whose nationality remains unknown, is in the intensive care unit of Al Qassimi Hospital, while three others — an Algerian and two Syrians — were admitted to Al Kuwaiti Hospital. A fifth unknown national was discharged from Al Kuwaiti Hospital.
A police official said the youths would be taken into custody for questioning.
The case is with Buhairah Police Station and an investigation is ongoing, said the official.