ALIAMANU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Multiple people are dead and over 20 people remain hospitalized following a massive fireworks explosion in Salt Lake.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene.
The death toll has since raised to at least four people and is expected to grow, according to police sources.
Personnel from the Honolulu Fire Department, Honolulu Police Department, Federal Fire Department and Honolulu Emergency Medical Services raced to the scene around midnight at a home on Keaka Drive in Aliamanu.
HNN spoke to a neighbor who described what happened the moment the explosion occurred.
”I heard what seemed to be a low blast and I turned my phone to see what was going on and it was a low blast and then five to 10 minutes later a lot of commotion ambulance, fire, police It was pretty tragic what happened,” he said.
After the explosion, a triage of ambulances staged as quickly as possible to prioritize those with the worst injuries and get them to multiple Oahu trauma centers.
The tragedy also shook even the most seasoned first responders.
”Just very very sad — nothing I have ever seen in EMS,” said Honolulu EMS Director Jim Ireland. “Some of the folks who were here who have been to war, who have been in combat, said it reminded them of things they have seen in combat.“
Officials said there were not only burn injuries, but also “blast-type injuries.”
”So similar to what you would see to an explosion or a bomb right? So you are seeing possible limbs missing people being hit with shrapnel,” said Sunny Johnson, Honolulu EMS paramedic supervisor on duty.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi issued a statement Wednesday morning expressing his sorrow over the tragic event and condemning the use of illegal fireworks calling it “absurd and unacceptable.”
He said in full:
“It is with both frustration and sorrow that I address the tragedy that occurred last night in Salt Lake just after midnight on New Year’s Eve. A massive explosion caused by what appears to be illegal fireworks claimed at least three lives and left over 20 others critically injured. 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. Year after year, a minority of individuals recklessly endanger us all. This is absurd and unacceptable. My administration remains committed to working with federal and state agencies to shut down this illegal firework trade once and for all. We will push for stronger enforcement, tougher penalties, new technologies, and a united effort to stop the import of illegal fireworks. Our communities deserve better. We cannot allow this senseless danger to persist, and we will take decisive action to ensure the safety and well-being of Oahu residents.”
The investigation is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, Honolulu EMS also responded to multiple calls for fireworks-related injuries overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
- Just before 10 p.m., a 14-year-old boy was taken to the hospital in serious condition after a firework apparently exploded in his hand in Kalihi.
- At 11:04 p.m. on Lukela Lane in Kalihi, a 19-year-old man suffered multiple injuries, including a severe arm injury, from a suspected firework blast. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
- At 11:27 p.m., a 34-year-old man suffered a traumatic injury to his hand from a suspected firework blast . He was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
- At midnight, a 25-year-old man in Kalihi suffered an extensive hand injury from an apparent firework explosion. Paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital in serious condition.
- Around the same time, a 72-year-old man and 59-year-old woman suffered burn injuries to their leg from a firework in the Ewa Beach area. They were taken to a nearby hospital in minor condition.
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