The mum of this pretty schoolgirl who was engulfed in flames following an explosion in a science lab experiment gone wrong says her daughter is so badly burnt she cannot even hug her.

Annelise Lopes Andrade, 16, suffered burns to 70 percent of her body when she and four of her classmates conducted an unsupervised science experiment using fire and alcohol, which resulted in the explosion.

She was taken from her school, Colegio Heli Alves in the city of Anapolis in the Brazilian state of Goias, to the Governador Otavio Lage de Siqueira Emergency Hospital by helicopter.

She has remained in the hospital’s ICU since Tuesday, 30th November, when the incident took place, in a serious but stable condition.

Her mother, Diolange Lopes Carneiro, said: “She asked me for a hug, I couldn’t give her that hug, but she understood and I told her to remain calm so she could be medicated.”

Carneiro also revealed the extent of her daughter’s injuries, telling reporters: “When I saw her, her entire body was burnt. They informed me that it was 70 percent… Her back was pretty burnt, her face, hair, part of her belly. She was very burnt.”

Despite the gravity of her daughter’s injuries, Carneiro remained hopeful, telling reporters: “I’m praying, I’ve asked everyone to pray. She’ll be well soon. I believe it. She’s a strong girl, my soulmate, and I know she’ll be well soon.”

Headteacher Marcos Gomes had previously explained that the students in Andrade’s year were taking classes online. However, they had asked to come into school to record an experiment.

According to Gomes, they were allowed to use a room to record the experiment, but they had not informed anyone they would be using alcohol, and no teacher was present at the time.

He explained: “They said they were going to record a presentation, but they didn’t explain what they were going to do. They said they set alcohol alight, but they thought it hadn’t caught fire. So, they added more [alcohol] and there was this explosion.”

Andrade was reportedly the only student who was injured in the explosion. When workers at the school heard her screams, they took her to the shower until the fire brigade arrived on the scene.

The school is reportedly looking into the incident and has said it is offering support to the family.