An explosion of an illegal fireworks cache at a New Year’s Eve celebration on O‘ahu has left 3 people dead and more than 25 others injured.
First responders arrived at the scene around midnight at the home on Keaka Drive in the Salt Lake-Aliamanu neighborhood and described the scene as a warzone.
Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan says someone lit a cake of aerial fireworks near the carport of the home. It fell onto its side, or the table it was on fell over, and shot into crates that contained other illegal fireworks, which set off the explosion.
Officials say two females were pronounced dead at the scene. Another 23-year-old female died at the hospital. Their identities have not been released.
23 adults and 3 juveniles were transported to multiple hospitals in life-threatening condition with burns and shrapnel injuries.
Dr. Jim Ireland, Honolulu Emergency Services Department director, says it’s unclear how many were injured in total since a number of people at the scene had minor injuries or were brought to the hospital via private vehicle.
Ireland stressed that it wasn’t just a fire, but also a blast, like a bomb had gone off.
Additional fireworks were recovered and removed safely from the home.
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon with emergency officials, Governor Josh Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said there needs to be stricter laws and penalties in place to prevent illegal fireworks from getting into the hands of residents.
Mayor Blangiardi also noted that technology should be looked at to screen cargo and other containers coming into the island.
Green and Blangiardi also noted that this incident shows that community members need to be more mindful to not participate in lighting off illegal fireworks as it’s a threat to public safety.
Green visited the site of the home and says it’s very likely that the death toll from the explosion could rise.
It’s unclear where the fireworks came from, but there could be federal charges as the investigation continues.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also involved in the investigation.
