Container ignites, 15-year-old injured

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A 15-year-old boy was seriously injured at his Grand Haven Township home when black powder he placed into a container ignited on Tuesday afternoon.

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Department responded just before 3 p.m. to his family's home in the 12000 block of Lakeshore Drive.

The teen had placed black powder inside a metal device and lit it, according the Fire and Rescue engineer paramedic who responded to the call.

Officials told 24 Hour News 8 the resulting explosion caused serious burns to the teen's face, chest and abdomen.  

Though officials said the teen was alert, conscious and talking when they arrived, he also had a puncture to his upper chest and was having difficulty breathing.

"It wasn't a bomb, per se," said David Marshall, a Fire and Rescue responder. "It was a metal tube that he had placed gun powder in. That's my understanding."

The teen's condition is unknown, but his injuries were serious, according to Marshall.

The teen's name is not yet being released.