Two California teenagers were injured by fireworks on Independence Day, including one who reportedly lost several fingers in the incident, according to local media.
The incident happened Thursday night in Berkeley, where neighbors told KTVU that one teenager might have lost as many as four fingers from the explosion.
The Berkeley Police Department told KTVU that two teenage boys were injured during the blast, including one who suffered a “significant” injury. The other teenager suffered minor injuries from being close to the firework when it exploded but was not taken to a hospital, according to KNTV.
Though the two teenagers have not been identified, KRON4 reported that the teenager taken to the hospital was a high school football player going into his senior season at Berkeley High School and aiming for a college scholarship.
The Berkeley Fire Department, the police and an ambulance arrived shortly after the incident. Police said in a statement that this “is a reminder that fireworks are both dangerous and illegal and can be life-threatening.”
“The Berkeley Police Department hopes that both juveniles and those involved in this accident make a full recovery,” police continued in the statement.
A group of about 30 teenagers were at the location of the incident when some of them began lighting off fireworks about an hour before the injuries, according to neighbors who spoke to KTVU and KNTV.
Surveillance video shows boys playing football in the street as pyrotechnics exploded overhead, and a blast occurred around 9:50 p.m., according to KTVU. A firework had exploded in one boy’s hand, which led to people screaming, according to the report.
Following the blast, the teenager who appeared to be in pain shouted “what the f—” and “call 911!” The other boys stopped playing football, with some running over to help the injured teenager.
One neighbor told KNTV that the firework did not work after it was lit, and the injured teenager grabbed it before it blew up in his hand. This, after a friend warned him to put the pyrotechnic down, according to KTVU.
The blood spatter was still visible Friday on the street corner and fence, KTVU reported.
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