Abandoned chemistry 'experiment' in Central Park mutilates student's foot

A student’s foot may need amputation after he stood on an “experiment” made from fireworks or explosives in New York’s Central Park.

The loud explosion went off when Connor Golden, 18, was climbing on rocks near the entrance of the famous park.

A New York Fire Department official said the teenager’s injuries were so severe an amputation may be necessary.

Police do not believe the explosives are connected to terrorism but could have been the work of a chemistry “hobbyist”, US media reports.

NYPD bomb squad commanding officer Mark Torre said he did not think the “experiment” was meant to explode when someone stepped on it.

“It is not unusual for the public to make or try to create homemade fireworks around the Fourth of July,” Lt. Mark Torre said.

An unnamed law-enforcement source told the New York Post there were wet matches near the “homemade device”.

“It probably just went off because of the friction of him stepping on it,” the newspaper quotes the source as saying.

Witness Thomas Hinds was with Mr Golden when he felt the force of the explosion, ABC reports.

“The explosion sounded like a gunshot next to my ears. I turned around and saw his foot which wasn’t completely blown off but was severely mutilated,” Mr Hinds said.

The bomb squad was called to the scene and shut down part of Central Park while it investigated.