This is a list of fireworks accidents and incidents, including pyrotechnics fire and explosion. The list is sortable by casualties and date.
Date | Event | Location | Country | Casualties | Structure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1869-04-05 | C. N. Romaine & Brothers fireworks factory explosion | Petersburg, Virginia | United States | 12 deaths | factory |
1903-06-21 | Fireworks explosion in downtown shop | Paterson, New Jersey | United States | 17 deaths | warehouse |
1904-11-04 | Fireworks explosion at Madison Square | New York City | United States | 15 deaths | |
1908-07-03 | S. S. Kresge Fireworks Explosion | Cleveland, Ohio | United States | 7 deaths [1] | five-and-dime store |
1909-07-03 | Great Nampa Fire | Arnold Cigar Store, Nampa, Idaho | United States | 4–5 deaths, unconfirmed | Cigar Store |
1928-03-06 | Fireworks factory explosion | Samarang, Java | Indonesia | 20+ deaths | factory |
1930-04-03 | Pennsylvania Fireworks Display Company factory explosion | Devon, Pennsylvania | United States | 9 deaths | factory |
1937-07-01 | Drake Drug Company fireworks explosion | Nampa, Idaho | United States | 6 deaths | Drug Store |
1942-11-06 | Rochester Fireworks Company explosion | Perinton, New York | United States | 11 deaths | factory |
1947-04-01 | Fireworks factory explosion | Clinton, Missouri | United States | 10 deaths | factory |
1958-06-23 | Fireworks stand explosion | Salvador, Bahia | Brazil | 100+ deaths | |
1964-08-24 | Fireworks ignite storage tanks | Atlatlahuaca | Mexico | 45 deaths | |
1970-05-27 | Carpentersville Fireworks Company explosion | Huntley, Illinois | United States | 3 injuries [2] | factory |
1971-05-17 | Continental Fireworks Company explosion | Pisgah, Illinois | United States | 3 deaths, 5 injuries [2] | factory |
1971-06-13 | Fireworks explosion destroys school | Puebla | Mexico | 13 deaths | |
1972-03-06 | Melrose Display Fireworks Company explosion | Orland Park, Illinois | United States | 3 deaths, 16 injuries [2] | factory |
1972-07-04 | Bangs Lake Park explosion | Wauconda, Illinois | United States | 1 death, 8 injuries [2] | park |
1973-05-30 | Children injured by discarded shell | Huntley, Illinois | United States | 2 injuries [2] | factory |
1973-06-09 | Worldwide Fireworks Company explosion | McHenry, Illinois | United States | 7 injuries [2] | factory |
1977-02-18 | Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire | Xinjiang 61st Regiment | China | 694 deaths, 161 disabled [3] | public hall |
1983-05-27 | Benton fireworks disaster | Benton, Tennessee | United States | 11 deaths, 1 injury | factory |
1984-09-07 | C23 tragedy | Qala, Gozo | Malta | 7 deaths, 1 injury | navy |
1985-05-20 | Illegal fireworks factory explosion | Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio | United States | 9 deaths | factory |
1985-06-25 | Aerlex Fireworks plant explosion | Hallett, Oklahoma | United States | 21 deaths, 5 injuries | factory |
1986-04-05 | 1986 San Francisco fireworks disaster | San Francisco, California | United States | 8–9 deaths, 20 injuries | factory |
1987-07-04 | National Mall Fireworks Display | Washington DC | United States | 4+ injuries [4] | park |
1987-09-25 | Celebrity Fireworks plant explosion | Rialto, California | United States | 1 death [5] | factory |
1988-12-12 | Mexico City fireworks disaster | Mexico City | Mexico | 62+ deaths, up to 83 injuries | market |
1989-03-22 | Fengate fireworks factory explosion | Peterborough | United Kingdom | 1 firefighter death, over 100 injuries | factory [6] |
1991-02-14 | Culemborg fireworks disaster | Culemborg and Vianen | Netherlands | 2 deaths, dozens of injuries [7] | factory |
1991-05-07 | Bright Sparklers Fireworks disaster | Sungai Buloh | Malaysia | 26 deaths, 83 injuries | factory |
1991-06-21 | Fireworks store explosion | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 22 deaths | warehouse |
1996-01-31 | 1996 Shaoyang explosion | RFX factory in Shaoyang, Hunan | China | 134 death, 405 injuries [8] | RDX factory |
1996-07-03 | Fireworks stand explosion | Lawrence County, Ohio | United States | 9 deaths, 11 injuries [9] | shop |
1996-11-00 | accidents in a number of fireworks factories | ? | China | 51 deaths [7] | factory |
1997-06-05 | Pyro Shows fireworks warehouse explosion | LaFollette , Tennessee | United States | 4 deaths | warehouse [10] |
1998-12-11 | Independence Professional Fireworks factory explosion | Osseo, Michigan | United States | 7 deaths | factory |
1999-09-26 | Celaya fireworks disaster | Celaya | Mexico | 63 deaths, [7] 348 injuries | warehouse |
1999-12-00 | explosion in a fireworks factory | ? | Brazil | 39 deaths [7] | factory |
2000-05-13 | Enschede fireworks disaster | Enschede | Netherlands [7] | 23 deaths, c. 950 injuries | factory |
2001-01-01 | Volendam New Year's fire | Volendam | Netherlands | 14 deaths, 241 injuries | nightclub |
2001-11-24 | Canecão Mineiro nightclub fire | Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 7 deaths, 197 injuries | nightclub |
2001-12-29 | Mesa Redonda fire | Lima | Peru | 291 deaths, 134 injuries | shopping center |
2003-02-20 | The Station nightclub fire | West Warwick, Rhode Island | United States | 100 deaths, 230 injuries | nightclub |
2004-11-03 | Seest fireworks disaster | Seest | Denmark | 1 death, 24 injuries | factory |
2004-12-30 | República Cromañón nightclub fire | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 194 deaths, 1,492+ injuries | nightclub |
2007-12-31 | December 2007 Bocaue fire | Bocaue, Bulacan | Philippines | 7 injuries | factory |
2006-12-04 | Festival Fireworks Factory | East Sussex | United Kingdom | 2 deaths, 12 injuries | factory |
2007-31-12 | Fireworks explosion at Bulacan | Bocaue | Philippines | 4 missing (later found back), 7 injuries | Shops |
2008-02-01 | Istanbul fireworks explosion | Istanbul | Turkey | 22+ deaths, 100+ injuries | factory |
2008-04-19 | Factory nightclub fire | Quito | Ecuador | 15 deaths, 35 injuries [11] | nightclub |
2008-09-21 | Wuwang Club fire | Shenzhen | China | 43 deaths, 88 injuries | nightclub |
2009-01-01 | Santika Club fire | Bangkok | Thailand | 66 deaths, 222 injuries | nightclub |
2009-01-29 | Starmaker Fireworks Factory explosion | Trece Martires | Philippines | 8+ deaths, 70+ injuries [12] | factory |
2009-02-09 | Beijing Television Cultural Center fire | Beijing | China | 1 death, 7 injuries | open air fireworks show |
2009-12-05 | Lame Horse fire | Perm | Russia | 156 deaths, 78 injuries | nightclub |
2012-07-04 | Big Bay Boom premature mass discharge | San Diego, California | United States | 0 casualties [13] | open air fireworks show from four barges and a pier |
2012-09-05 | Sivakasi factory explosion | Sivakasi | India | 40 deaths, 70+ injuries | factory |
2013-01-27 | Kiss nightclub fire | Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul | Brazil | 242 deaths, 630 injuries | nightclub |
2013-06-20 | B.E.M. Fireworks explosion | Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec | Canada | 2 deaths [14] | warehouse |
2014-04-20 | Fireworks incident | De Kuip, Rotterdam | The Netherlands | ? | football stadium |
2015-10-30 | Colectiv nightclub fire | Bucharest | Romania | 64 deaths, 146 injuries | nightclub |
2015-12-31 | Manila New Year's fireworks | Manila | Philippines | 1 death, 380 injuries, thousands displaced [15] | open air fireworks show |
2016-04-10 | Puttingal temple fire | Kollam, Kerala | India | 111 deaths, 350+ injuries | place of worship |
2016-12-20 | 2016 San Pablito Market fireworks explosion | Tultepec | Mexico | 42 deaths, 84 injuries [16] | market |
2017-10-26 | Tangerang fireworks disaster | Tangerang | Indonesia | 49 deaths, 46 injuries | factory |
2018-06-06 | Fireworks explosion | Tultepec | Mexico | 7 deaths, 7 injuries [16] | warehouse |
2018-07-05 | Fireworks disaster | Tultepec | Mexico | 24 deaths, 49+ injuries [16] | warehouse |
2021-03-16 | Ontario fireworks explosion | Ontario, California | United States | 2 deaths, 1 injured [17] | residential area |
2021-07-04 | LAPD firework disposal accident | Los Angeles, California | United States | 17 injuries [18] | residential area |
2022-07-14 | Bastille Day | Cholet | France | 2 deaths, 7 injuries | Open air show |
2022-08-14 | 2022 Yerevan explosion | Yerevan | Armenia | 16 deaths, 61 injuries | warehouse |
2022-12-1 | "Magic in the Sky" warehouse blast | Orlando, Florida | United States | 4 deaths, 1 injury [19] | warehouse |
2023-02-19 | Blitar fireworks explosion | Blitar | Indonesia | 4 deaths, 13 injuries [20] | house |
2023-07-29 | Sungai Kolok fireworks disaster | Su-ngai Kolok | Thailand | 10+ deaths, at least 118 injured [21] | warehouse |
2023-09-26 | Qaraqosh wedding fire | Qaraqosh | Iraq | 107 deaths, 82 injuries [22] | wedding hall |
2024-01-17 | Suphanburi fireworks disaster | Suphan Buri | Thailand | 23 deaths, 7 injuries [23] | factory |
The Enschede fireworks disaster was a catastrophic fireworks explosion on 13 May 2000 in Enschede, Netherlands. The explosion killed 23 people including four firefighters and injured 950 others. A total of 400 homes were destroyed and 1,500 buildings were subsequently damaged.
M-80s are an American class of large powerful firecrackers, sometimes called salutes. M-80s were originally made in the mid 20th century for the U.S. military to simulate explosives or artillery fire. The "M" is designated by a U.S. military convention for "standard" equipment and "80" is for the 80 grains of flash powder within it. Later, M-80s were manufactured as consumer fireworks made from a small cardboard tube, often red, approximately 1+1⁄2 inches (3.8 cm) long and 9⁄16 inch (1.4 cm) inside diameter, with a fuse coming out of the side; this type of fuse is commonly known as cannon fuse or Visco fuse, after a company responsible for standardizing the product. This consumer version holds a reduced charge of 45 grains of pyrotechnic flash powder.
The Santika Club fire was a fireworks accident and nightclub fire that occurred on Thursday 1 January 2009, in the Santika Club in Ekkamai, Watthana, Bangkok, where New Year celebrations were taking place. 67 people were killed and another 222 injured when fire swept through the club during the New Year's celebration as the band "Burn" was playing.
The Kiss nightclub fire started between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. (BRST) on 27 January 2013 in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, killing 242 people and injuring at least 630 others. The acoustic foam in the ceiling was ignited. It was because outdoor fireworks were used indoors causing the ceiling foam to catch fire, creating a fireworks accident and nightclub fire. The premises having only one exit contributed to the high death toll as well as the electricity going out, making it impossible to find the exit with the layout the way it was. The only light in the building was coming from the bathroom where people flocked, only to be trapped with no way out as they believed it was an exit. It is the second most deadly fire in Brazilian history, surpassed only by the Niterói circus fire of 1961.
The Mesa Redonda fire occurred on Saturday, 29 December 2001 in Lima, Peru. The disaster killed at least 291 people and injured at least another 134. It is currently the worst firework-related fire in history in terms of deaths.
On 10 April 2016 at approximately 03:30 AM IST, the Puttingal Temple in Paravur, Kollam, Kerala, India, experienced a fireworks accident after firework celebrations went awry. As a result, 111 people were killed and more than 350 were injured, including some with severe burns. The temple and at least 150 houses in the area of the temple were damaged by the blast. According to local reports and eyewitnesses, the explosion and fire were caused by sparks from a firecracker being used in a competitive fireworks display igniting fireworks in a concrete storehouse. About 15,000 pilgrims were visiting the temple to mark local Hindu celebrations during the last day of a seven-day festival of the goddess Bhadrakali.
On 20 December 2016, a fireworks accident occurred at the San Pablito Market in the city of Tultepec, north of Valley of Mexico. At least 42 people were killed in the explosion, and dozens injured.
On September 26, 1999, a stockpile of illegally stored fireworks and gunpowder exploded in the Mexican city of Celaya, killing 63 people and wounding 348 others.
The Tangerang fireworks disaster occurred on 26 October 2017 at the PT. Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses, a fireworks manufacturing factory in Kosambi, Tangerang, Indonesia. The explosion occurred in a warehouse connected to the factory and ignited a large fire. A hundred and three people were working at the factory at the time of the explosion. At least 49 people were killed and 46 others were injured in the fireworks accident. Authorities confirmed that several people were still missing. It was the deadliest industrial accident in Indonesia.
On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut in the capital city of Lebanon exploded, causing at least 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage, as well as leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. A cargo of 2,750 tonnes of the substance had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures for the previous six years after having been confiscated by Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus. The explosion was preceded by a fire in the same warehouse.
On 14 August 2022, at 13:23 local time, a large explosion took place in the Surmalu shopping centre in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. It caused widespread destruction and fire, leaving dozens of dead and injured. The explosion killed 16 people and injured 63, with nine missing as of 20 August.
The Sungai Kolok fireworks disaster was a catastrophic fireworks explosion that occurred at a warehouse on 29 July 2023 in Sungai Kolok, Thailand, killing at least 12 and injuring at least 118, and destroying at least 200 homes and businesses.
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