Between 8,000 and 10,000 spectators were admiring the fireworks extravaganza at a Simi Valley park Thursday night when the spectacle of lights that were supposed to be launched in the sky, began going off in the surface. A bright plume of red and white bursts spread across the ground, injuring 28 people and sending others fleeing for safety.
The accident was caused when the wood platform holding live fireworks tipped over, sending the pyrotechnics into the crowd at an annual 4th of July show northwest of Los Angeles, authorities said Friday.
"For some unknown reasons the structure that holds these ordinances collapsed and caused them to be firing into the crowd," Simi Valley police Cmdr. Stephanie Shannon said.
The fire department and emergency crew at the scene immediately set up a triage area and began treating injuries. Four people were listed in serious condition, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening. Sixteen more were taken to hospitals with minor to moderate injuries. The remainder were treated at the park.
Authorities estimate people were about 900 feet away from where the fireworks were being launched. Shannon said most people responded admirably and left in an orderly fashion. A bomb squad was at the park to deactivate the remainder of the fireworks.
She added the fireworks primarily shot in one direction. "They are going to travel the same distance across the park as they would in the air," Shannon said. "The ones that had actually ignited that had to run their fuse were going directly into the crowd."
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