Hospitals in the United Kingdom have recorded several children with severe burns after playing with viral squishy toys.
Some of the toys detonated when people put them in a microwave device, resulting in burns and subjecting children to unidentified substances.
Doctors say the injuries stem from hazardous chemicals in the soft polymer marketed via e‑commerce.
Trading Standards officers in Gloucestershire have confiscated almost 2,000 the toys in a country‑wide regulatory sweep.
The seizure follows calls from councils and consumer groups to halt sales.
Authorities urge parents to throw away any squishy toy that has been heated or shows signs of chemical leakage.