Saskatoon police say a 20-year-old man suffered extensive injuries to his hand while trying to build a pipe bomb in a garage Friday night.
The explosion happened at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the suburban neighbourhood of Westview. Another 20-year-old man who was nearby at the time of the blast suffered minor injuries.
Saskatoon police say they do not know why the bomb was being built.
"The pipe bomb is a device normally used by the criminal element but we are not entirely sure in this case why this young man decided to make one," Sgt. Grant Obst told CTV Saskatoon.
Police have not released the man's name.
Neighbour Bailee Adams who grew up with the man says she is shocked to learn someone was "playing with a bomb" but doesn’t believe there was any intent to harm.
She said she believes the blast was the result of two people "recklessly" playing with fire.
Neighbours say the couple who own the home often go away on weekends and that their son hangs out in their garage. They say the incident is "disturbing."
"I know what blasting caps can do to a man’s hand and they’re small, but a pipe bomb, that is pretty serious," neighbour Don Deuck said.
The Saskatoon Police Explosive Disposal Unit secured the area and searched the home for other explosive devices.
With a report from CTV Saskatoon
