Dutch man hurt by exploding boules ball dies from injuries

A 37-year-old man from Eindhoven, who was critically injured after a boules ball in a fire pit exploded last Saturday, died of his injuries on Thursday, the family reported in a statement in the Eindhovens Dagblad.

"We are shocked by the sudden death. He will be greatly missed," the family told the newspaper.

The accident occurred last Saturday night in Stavelot, a small town in the Ardennes region in southern Belgium. Local media reported that a group of Dutch friends were staying in a chalet to celebrate a bachelor party. The group decided to place the ball in a fire pit. The ball heated up and “exploded like a grenade,” police told newswire ANP.

The blast sent shrapnel flying towards the tourists. Pieces of the ball struck the man in the back of the skull. He was taken to an area hospital with wounds to his head, where he died on Thursday.