Eight year old boy suffers burns after toy explodes

A warning to all parents who might be purchasing remote controlled toys this Christmas.

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An eight-year-old boy suffered horrific burns after an ethanol-fuelled remote controlled toy car he was playing with burst into flames.

Omar Awad was playing with the toy in the backyard of his Sydney home around 10pm when the toy suddenly exploded.

His father, Khalid Awad, said “I found my wife and a couple of visitors just screaming, and I ran to the backyard and found fire on my son’s body,” Mr Awad told 9NEWS.

Omar was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. He suffered burns from his neck to the bottom of his stomach, and on his arms and hands.

“He was talking to me. He was saying, ‘sorry Dad, sorry’,” Mr Awad said.

“I said to him, ‘you’re not sorry, I am the one who should be sorry, I should be with you all the time’”.

KidSafe have warned the accident is a timely reminder for all parents to ensure their children are playing with age-appropriate toys.

“Toys that involve fuel are designed for adults, not children,” she told 9NEWS.

“Make sure that fuel is locked away, out of sight, and don’t let them watch you re-fuel, so they can’t copy you.”

Share your thoughts below.

Image via 9NEWS

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14 Comments

- - mom67623 said
  - 02 Feb 2016
    1:39 pm
obviously more restrictions and standardsshould be applied to remote control and other devices fro childre.Unfortunatly lot of toys come from Asian countries as they are so poorly paid proper regulations not in place. In my opinion toys uch as these should be made and under strict regulations here in Australia, where hopefully guarantee should cover the products produced. My grndson loves all the remote control stuff

- - katelt said
  - 29 Jan 2016
    11:57 am
Scares me how many expensive toys out there are actually so very dangerous

- - june11 said
  - 28 Jan 2016
    9:47 pm
I have seen them in childrens’ toy departments in various stores.
They need to be banned from selling them in that Dept.
It is either these or another remote control toy that one of the airlines in USA will not allow in booked in luggage. Apparently there was one caught fire in the luggage hold in a plane.
Just as well it wasn’t in carry-on luggage.

- - storm7 said
  - 21 Jan 2016
    10:05 am
Hoping for a quick recovery for this boy.

- - mom93821 said
  - 09 Jan 2016
    8:24 pm
Poor little boy – how awful and painful.

- - aprilb1 said
  - 01 Jan 2016
    9:40 am
That’s awful. Poor little guy!

- - rachelvk said
  - 24 Dec 2015
    1:00 pm
That is just terrifying. I would not have thought a fuel powered toy is appropriate for a child that age and sincerely the young fellow is recovering.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 23 Dec 2015
    3:01 pm
WOW! That’s pretty scary. Poor kid

- - paulah2 said
  - 15 Dec 2015
    10:30 am
Definitely agree, this should not be a kids toy

- - mum4107 said
  - 13 Dec 2015
    5:05 am
Omg how terrifying. I can’t believe that

- - mom94125 said
  - 12 Dec 2015
    12:59 am
yes i agree. they are lucky that it worked out. poor kid! what a hard way to learn a lesson.

- - jess said
  - 08 Dec 2015
    12:11 pm
sad reminder for the family but at least he is still with them for christmas it could have been worse, hope you mend quickly.

- - mom90758 said
  - 07 Dec 2015
    6:17 pm
That must have been so scary. I’ve never had a toy that involves fuel. Really dangerous!!

- - mom165081 said
  - 07 Dec 2015
    9:58 am
Can’t imaging how horrible this must be for the family. I have seen these cars and so very enticing for kids. Tragic.