At least three people were killed and 20 injured after a fireworks explosion on New Year’s Eve in a residential Honolulu neighborhood, authorities said.
The explosion occurred at a home three miles west of Fort Shafter, the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific. Videos posted on social media by neighbors show a rapid series of bursts creating a blinding light next to the house as fireworks exploded across the city.
Emergency personnel found “dozens of victims” when they arrived at a home shortly after midnight Wednesday in response to a reported explosion, Dr. James Ireland, director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services, said at a news conference. press on Wednesday morning.
“I’ve been in EMS for over 30 years and this is probably one of the worst calls I’ve ever had as far as the immense tragedy, the number of patients and the severity of the injuries,” Ireland said.
Authorities have not yet revealed the cause of the deadly explosion.
Sunny Johnson, paramedic supervisor for Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, said at the early morning news conference, as fireworks continued to play in the background, that 20 patients were transported to various hospitals and two people were pronounced dead at the scene. . They were unsure how many victims may have been injured and left before emergency services arrived. A later statement from Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi put the death toll at three.
“This incident is a painful reminder of the danger illegal fireworks pose, putting lives at risk, depleting our first responder resources and disrupting our communities,” Blangiardi said. “Year after year, a minority of individuals recklessly endanger us all. “This is absurd and unacceptable.”
Aerial fireworks require a pyrotechnics permit under Hawaii state law. However, only a small minority of attempts to prosecute those who violate fireworks restrictions result in verdicts or guilty pleas, and they typically only result in minor fines, according to an analysis by Honolulu Civil Beat.
New Year’s Eve fireworks have a long history in Hawaii. For decades, lawmakers have fought to quell its widespread use across the state. A multi-agency task force was created in 2010 to curb illegal fireworks, which, in addition to injuring residents and pets and damaging property, had become a burden on public safety agencies.
Dozens of people are hurt each year by fireworks-related injuries on New Year’s Eve, although the number dropped from a high of 112 in 2009 to 42 in 2019, according to a Hawaii legislative report from that year.
Five people were injured in four other fireworks-related incidents on Oahu, Hawaii News Now reported.
