Two people are dead and more than 20 injured after a fireworks accident during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Children are believed to be among those killed or injured in the disaster on Keaka Drive in Salt Lake, also known as Aliamanu, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Honolulu residents Nick Wendrych and Adrian Montecinos filmed the rogue explosion as they celebrated on a balcony, unaware of the chaos below.
Their footage showed a sudden series of uncontrolled fireworks explosions going off at ground level in rapid succession, in contrast to those in the air.
Another video shot at ground level showed the explosions causing chaos in the streets as people ran for their lives.
‘Major Incident in the Salt Lake area HPD, HFD, and EMS are responding to a major incident in the area of Keaka Drive,’ local police said.
‘Please avoid the area as first responders provide medical and other assistance.’
Another video shot at ground level showed the explosions causing chaos on the ground as people ran for their lives
Police added at 1.45am: ‘This is a fireworks-related incident with multiple casualties. HPD, HFD, and EMS are on the scene providing care and security. Please avoid the area.’
Locals claimed online that the disaster was sparked by a fireworks ‘cake’, a cluster of tubes that hold the rockets, falling over from the force of them launching.
That resulted in ‘fireworks being shot straight into a garage full of friends and families, including children’.
‘This set off a whole chain reaction with other nearby fireworks that was caught in the crossfire.’
Another local added: ‘The people who were affected are my neighbors and it was a horrific accident.
‘I never thought it would affect me. I always felt confident that I would take proper precautions to protect myself e.g. don’t hold fireworks in my hand and launch them, until tonight.’
Two people are dead and more than 20 injured after a fireworks accident during New Year’s Eve celebrations
Police are investigating the cause of the disaster.
A 14-year-old boy was injured in a separate accident when a firework exploded in his hand in the Kalihi neighborhood.
He was treated at the scene then rushed to a trauma center for advanced treatment, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said.
A third incident caught on film showed a police car hit by fireworks that exploded underneath it, but the officers were able to drive through it without injury.
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