Two girls were severely burned in a chemistry experiment gone wrong at their Bronx high school Friday, according to fire officials.
The two freshmen students were trying to make a carbon sugar snake during chemistry class at the High School for Violin and Dance on Friday afternoon when alcohol vapors ignited, according to FDNY assistant chief Joe Woznica.
The two girls had third-degree burns on their faces, bodies and arms, Woznica said.
A student in another class said she heard screams coming from down the hall, and opened her classroom door to see one of the girls who got burned.
"She was like patting it off, the fire off, so her arm was on fire. She came running down the hall," said the student, who says she's done the same experiment before and it was "completely safe."
It's not clear what caused the vapors to catch fire.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said in a statement, "The safety of our students is our top priority, and FDNY is conducting a thorough investigation. The lab will be out of use until it is completed."
