WPBN: There were at least three fatalities and scores more individuals who were in serious condition as a result of a big fireworks explosion that occurred on New Year’s Day in Hawaii.
According to first responders, the illegal fireworks burst at a residence in the Aliamanu neighborhood of Honolulu soon after midnight on Wednesday. They stated that two ladies were pronounced dead at the spot, while a third woman later passed away as a result of her injuries.
“Based on the preliminary review and nearby surveillance footage, evidence from the scene and witness statements, it appears that shortly after midnight, a person who attended the party lit an aerial cake, which is a container containing multiple aerial fireworks in the driveway at the carport,” Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan stated.
“The cake fell to the side and the aerial shot into crates that contained additional fireworks, setting of what is the explosion that you saw on multiple media outlets,” Logan continued.
Images of the gigantic fireworks explosion that lighted up the night sky were captured by surveillance cameras and drones that were in the region.
Dr. Jim Ireland, the head of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, stated that in addition to the three women who passed away, a total of twenty-one other individuals were sent to hospitals in the surrounding region having sustained significant injuries.
An additional ten to fifteen individuals had minor injuries.
“I’ve been in EMS for over 30 years, and this is probably one of the worst calls I’ve ever been on as far as just the immense tragedy and amount of patients and severity of the injuries,” Ireland stated.
During his speech, Governor Josh Green of Hawaii referred to the area as “a war zone,” and he pledged to tighten the enforcement and punishments for illegal pyrotechnics.
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“These are not just fireworks. These are actually bombs,” Green stated.
In addition, the governor said, “We are now living in an era where fires are less easily controlled because things are so dry, like we saw on Maui,” referring to the devastating wildfire that destroyed Lahaina and claimed 102 lives in August 2023.
“So that’s why it has to stop and it’s going to have to be all of us, you know, all of us are going to have to accept the fact that aerials should only be done professionally,” Green stated.
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It is required by law for airborne fireworks to have a pyrotechnic permission in Hawaii; nevertheless, infractions of this legislation are rarely prosecuted or result in guilty verdicts, according to the governor of Hawaii.
It was on Wednesday that Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi made the statement, “enough is enough.”
“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 stated.
“Year after year, a minority of individuals recklessly endanger us all. This is absurd and unacceptable.”
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