A tragic incident occurred when a Ukrainian student died after an explosion of chewing gum in his mouth.
Vladimir Likhonos, aged 25, was attending a branch of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 2009 when this unfortunate event took place.
The Associated Press reported that police spokeswoman Elvira Biganova described the incident as an accident that ‘anyone’ could have made given the circumstances.
At the time, Likhonos was involved in working with explosive chemicals for his studies. It is believed he mistakenly picked up highly volatile explosives, confusing it with citric acid, which he frequently used to enhance the flavor of his gum while working.
The powder on his workstation closely resembled the sour substance often found in food and drink to provide a tart flavor.
Biganova explained that the explosion from the chewing gum in his mouth led to severe facial injuries.
According to The Independent, she stated it blew off Likhonos’ jaw and much of the lower part of his face, leaving him critically injured.
Paramedics arriving at the scene determined that his injuries were beyond what was survivable.
Biganova remarked: “Even some of our seasoned officers, who have seen a thing or two, even they were pretty badly shaken up by what they found.”
During the preliminary investigation, officers inspected the table where Likhonos had been working and discovered approximately 3.5 ounces (or 100 grams) of the explosive substance.
She noted that the powder looked similar to citric acid but had not been precisely identified at that time.
Biganova expressed sympathy for Likhonos, noting: “Anybody could have mixed them up.”
A bomb squad was dispatched to examine the substance, determining it was too dangerous to move.
Local reports indicated that Likhonos, from the town of Konotop in northeastern Ukraine, had dipped his gum into a powder that was four times stronger than TNT.
Conflicting accounts exist about Likhonos’ location at the time; some reports suggest he was at the university, while another source claims (in Russian) that his brother discovered his body after hearing a loud noise from within their home.
Tatyana Kushnerova, assistant to the head of the Konotop city police department, mentioned that the severe injuries were sustained when the ‘chewing bomb’ detonated in his mouth.
Irina Lisovskaya, deputy dean of the chemical engineering faculty, commented on the reports of his death, telling the outlet Zhitomir: “He got an A in chemistry, but his grades in other subjects were average.
“Yes, Vladimir was not a poor student, but he never graduated from KPI – he could not defend his diploma thesis and was expelled last year. It’s a shame he died. But they don’t teach how to make bombs at KPI!”