A 5-year-old boy tragically dies in an explosion inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in Michigan.

 Authorities reported that the explosion at the Oxford Center in Troy, north of Detroit, resulted in the death of a child from Royal Oak, Michigan, and left his mother injured.

Authorities are investigating the cause of an explosion at a Troy medical facility on Friday morning that killed a 5-year-old boy inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. First responders were called to the medical center at 165 Kirts Boulevard near Livernois Road and Interstate 75 around 7:54 a.m. following reports of an explosion and fire. Troy Police Lt. Ben Hancock, Troy Fire Lt. Keith Young, Police Chief Joshua Jones, and Fire Chief Pete Hullinger addressed the situation at a news conference.

The facility, operated by The Oxford Center, specializes in a variety of therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen treatment. While the exact reason for the boy’s use of the chamber has not been disclosed, hyperbaric chambers are used to treat conditions such as burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, and gas gangrene, which are FDA-approved for such devices.

Hancock described the incident as “a horrible, tragic event,” a sentiment echoed by Lt. Young, who remarked that in his ten years of service, he had never encountered a situation like this. The boy's identity has not been released, and the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

When authorities arrived, they found the chamber on fire. The boy, who was in the chamber at the time, was quickly removed but later pronounced dead. His mother, who was near the chamber, suffered injuries to her arms. The fire was contained within minutes, and officials reported no further injuries, though damage was limited to the area around the chamber. The exterior of the building remained unaffected.

The facility has been temporarily closed while authorities continue their investigation. It is unclear when the center will reopen, and no timeline has been provided for the investigation’s completion. Lt. Young clarified that while the cause is still unknown, the chambers are highly combustible due to the 100% oxygen inside, which is three times denser than normal air.

While it remains unclear whether the facility is properly licensed to operate such equipment, Young noted that this will be addressed as part of the investigation. The Oxford Center, which was founded in 2008, operates in multiple locations including South Lyon and Brighton, offering services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

In a statement, the Oxford Center expressed its sorrow, calling the day “exceptionally difficult.” They emphasized their commitment to the safety and well-being of their patients and vowed to cooperate fully with the investigation. The center also pointed out that this incident is unprecedented in their 15 years of offering hyperbaric therapy.

The incident comes on the heels of a previous controversy in December, when a former employee at the center’s Brighton location was sentenced to 12 years in prison for impersonating a healthcare worker.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, used by institutions such as Michigan Medicine and Henry Ford Health, involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber to treat various conditions, including non-healing wounds, infections, and hearing loss. However, the incident in Troy underscores the potential dangers associated with this specialized treatment.