Fireworks explosion kills 3 people, injures 20 in Hawaii

A New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in a Honolulu-area neighborhood killed two people died and injured 20 others, authorities say.

A New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in a Honolulu-area neighborhood killed at least three people and injured 20 others, authorities said. The accident occurred just before midnight outside a home, the Honolulu Fire Department said in a statement. The neighborhood is near Honolulu’s international airport and a joint U.S. Air Force and Navy base and a little more than 2 miles east of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, which honors sailors who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor drawing the U.S. into World War II. Two people were declared dead at the scene, and the other 20 victims were transported to hospitals, according to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. “I’ve been in EMS over 30 years and this is probably one of the worst calls I’ve ever been on as far as the immense tragedy and amount of patients and severity of the injuries,” Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Dr. Jim Ireland said in a news conference early Wednesday. A statement from Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi put the death toll at three and said more than 20 people were injured critically. “This incident is a painful reminder of the danger of illegal fireworks, which put lives at risk, drain our first responder resources, and disrupt our communities,” Blangiardi said.