A 10-year-old boy was critically injured in a horrific incident in Beitar Illit on Wednesday after an explosion inside a burning garbage container sent an object flying toward him, striking him with tremendous force and leaving him unconscious, without a pulse or breathing.

The incident occurred on Rebbe of Nadvorna Street, where a garbage or recycling container had caught fire. According to initial reports, an object inside the burning container suddenly exploded, sending debris outward and seriously injuring the child.

Emergency medical personnel from Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah were dispatched to the scene, where they discovered the boy suffering from severe injuries, including burns and extensive trauma.

Upon examining the child, paramedics determined that he had no pulse and was not breathing. They immediately began advanced resuscitation procedures in an attempt to save his life.

The emergency response included intensive CPR and other lifesaving measures as medical teams worked to stabilize the boy sufficiently for transport to the hospital.

The child was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim in critical condition, with emergency personnel continuing resuscitation efforts during the journey.

Preliminary information indicated that an aerosol can, possibly a deodorant container, may have exploded after being exposed to the flames inside the garbage container. However, the precise cause of the blast has not been officially established.

Aerosol containers can become extremely dangerous when exposed to high temperatures, as pressure builds inside the sealed container and can cause it to rupture violently.

Israeli police and firefighting personnel responded to the scene and began examining the circumstances surrounding the explosion, including the nature of the object that detonated and how the fire began.

According to Magen David Adom, the emergency call was received at approximately 4:56 p.m. Wednesday.

MDA paramedic Yinon Bar Nachman described the devastating scene: “When we arrived, we saw a 10-year-old boy unconscious, without a pulse or breathing, suffering from severe injuries and burns to his body. We provided lifesaving treatment, including stopping bleeding, chest compressions, ventilation and administering medication. We evacuated him to the hospital in critical condition while continuing resuscitation efforts.”

Moshe Fordsham, a United Hatzalah ambulance driver who happened to be traveling nearby, said he heard the explosion and immediately stopped to investigate.

“While driving in a United Hatzalah ambulance, I heard a powerful explosion. I got out of the ambulance and saw a boy approximately 10 years old unconscious and suffering from severe injuries. I performed resuscitation efforts, and he was subsequently evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in critical condition,” Fordsham recounted.

According to preliminary information, investigators are examining the possibility that children had set fire to the container before the explosion. Reports indicate that an aerosol can may have been inside, although authorities have not confirmed that it caused the blast.

Firefighters from the Yehudah regional station extinguished the flames and searched the surrounding area for additional hazards.

Fire investigators, police from the Etzion station and forensic personnel are investigating the circumstances of the incident.