At least three people have died in an explosion caused by fireworks in a residential area of Honolulu, Hawaii, making a tragic beginning to the new year on the island of Oahu. On the scene, two people were later declared dead.
The blast happened just after midnight local time (10: 00 GMT) on Wednesday, as revellers celebrated the arrival of New Year’s Day. As many as 20 others were injured.
A profusion of fireworks erupting into a column of smoke against the night sky were the result of the explosion at a house, according to drone footage from the explosion.
Jim Ireland, the director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, said he saw many burns and “blast-type injuries” when he arrived at the site of the explosion, including from shrapnel.
“I’ve been in the EMS]emergency medical services] for over 30 years, and this is probably the worst call I’ve ever been on, as far as just the immense tragedy and amount of patients and the severity of the injuries”, Ireland said.
He claimed that a “massive response” was required to the injuries. Ireland’s department deployed 10 ambulances, and he noted the presence of ambulances from the federal fire department as well.
A joint base for the US Air Force and Navy was nearby when the explosion occurred. Pearl Harbor’s nearby fire engines arrived on the scene.
At a news conference, Justin Brownfield, a representative for the Honolulu Fire Department, said his agency also sent eight units and two battalion chiefs. He described “massive wreckage” at the site.
“The initial units on scene were confronted by dozens of victims, including many who were critical”, Ireland said, describing his initial impressions of the scene.
The US government frequently issues warnings about the dangers of amateur firework use during the holiday season.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, a government agency, reports that eight deaths and an estimated 9, 700 injuries were attributed to firework use in 2023 alone.
No details have been revealed about the cause of Wednesday’s fireworks explosion in Honolulu.
However, in a statement in response to the explosion, Hawaii Governor Josh Green criticized the use of unpermitted fireworks.
The use of aerial fireworks, as well as ground-based fireworks like sparklers and fountains, are considered illegal in Oahu.
“Because combating illegal fireworks has been a priority, we established the Illegal Fireworks Task Force last year to identify and disrupt supply chains”, Governor Green said in Wednesday’s statement.
“It has seized 227, 000 pounds]103, 000kg] of illegal fireworks to date, but incidents like this remind us of the ongoing challenges we face”.
Additionally, Honolulu’s mayor, Rick Blangiardi, released a press release to the state’s media, promising to impose tougher sanctions against those who unlawfully use fireworks.
“This incident is a painful reminder of the danger posed by illegal fireworks, which put lives at risk, drain our first responder resources, and disrupt our communities”, Blangiardi said in the statement.
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