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Blast injury. The suicide victim detonated one kilogram of TNT on his chest. No further info. Explosive-caused injuries may be from an explosive mixture of nitrocellulose, nitrocellulose-nitroglycerin mixture, dynamite, or gunpowder. The container for the explosive may play a role when, if with the explosion it breaks into pieces and the pieces cause serious injuries.

Fig.1 Suicide victim detonated one kilogram of TNT on his chest.

These injuries are similar to gunshot wounds, being high energy containing particles, they cause perforating and lacerating injuries, which due to the irregular tumbling tendency cause irregular shaped holes or large injuries to soft tissues, but larger pieces may cause amputations. Death occurs from shock or bleeding to death due to injury to vital organs. Among the later complications, soft tissue injuries are the most important and gangrene from infection by anaerobes is a possibility. Massive pieces of metal and metal bits or residue of the explosive may show the source of the injury.

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