A fatal oxygen bottle explosion in Massachusetts was apparently caused when the victim started hitting the bottle against the ground, investigators said.
The man was killed in Springfield late Tuesday morning, according to a statement Wednesday from the state fire marshal's office.
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The victim had been trying to remove the home oxygen bottle's valve, but when that failed, he started hitting it against the ground, causing the pressurized contents to explode, the statement said.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The man's name was not made public.
The explosion was investigated by the fire marshal's office as well as the city police and fire departments.
