13 people, eight of which were children, have been injured at the Discovery Museum in Reno, Nevada after a science demonstration went awry.

The demonstration, which is supposed to simulate a smoke tornado, caused a small explosion or “chemical flash”, burning some of the children. It is believed that an incorrect mix of chemicals was the cause.

The injuries were described as “minor to moderate” and the museum was quickly evacuated, remaining closed for the remainder of the day (3 September). Seven children and two adults were taken to hospital, while the remainder were treated at the scene.

“The Discovery would like to thank our staff for their quick response during today's incident at the museum,” a statement released by the museum reads.

“Their actions allowed first responders to attend to museum visitors in a timely manner. We would like to express our gratitude to all first responders that were on the scene within minutes of the incident. Our thoughts continue to be with all those affected today. As this incident is still under investigation, we have no further updates at this time, but will release more information as it becomes available."