A teenage woman needed a life-saving operation to remove her stomach after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen.
The 18-year-old, named in reports as Gabby Scanlan, began feeling breathless after consuming the drink during a night out with friends in Lancaster City Centre on Thursday.
She then developed severe stomach pain and was taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary at about 11pm.
Medics diagnosed the girl with a perforated stomach and were forced to perform emergency surgery to remove the body part, Lancashire Police said.
The girl, from Heysham, remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition, the force added.
Officers have launched an investigation into the incident.
A number of witnesses at the night spot where the drink was bought are being interviewed by police and the licensed premises has stopped selling drinks containing the chemical.
A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said: "Medical opinion is that this would have proved fatal had the operation not been carried out urgently.
"The investigation is still in its early stages and we are still interviewing witnesses to establish the full facts.
"The premises involved have fully co-operated with all agencies and have suspended drinks involving liquid nitrogen."
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