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Holiday Fireworks Blasts Kill 5 Workers

In Indiana, 25 Injured After Pedestrian Bridge Collapses

posted: 15 HOURS 2 MINUTES AGO

comments: 323

filed under: National News

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OCRACOKE, N.C. (July 4) - Five people working on Independence Day fireworks shows were killed by explosions, four of them by a single blast that rocked this remote village on the Outer Banks.

The fifth died after an explosion at a fireworks show in Pennsylvania, police said.

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In another holiday accident, a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Indiana as fans were leaving a fireworks show, injuring 25 people. Authorities said Sunday the crowd had overloaded the bridge.

The blast at Ocracoke came as workers were unloading fireworks Saturday from a truck at the Anchorage Marina, shaking homes and businesses across the southern end of Ocracoke Island and rattling residents and tourists.

Earl Woodham, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said agents determined the cause was accidental. ATF will not investigate further, but a workplace safety agency such as the state Labor Department likely will try to find the specific cause, he said.

Dock master Robert Raborn was about 200 yards away from the truck and said the explosion was one of the loudest things he had ever heard.

"It was like 40 minutes worth of fireworks going off in four seconds," Raborn said.

One of the workers died at the scene Saturday and three others died later at area hospitals, including one who died on Sunday, said Hyde County spokeswoman Jamie Tunnell.

Another person was listed in fair condition at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at the UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill.

The Ocracoke victims worked for Melrose South Pyrotechnics near Rock Hill, S.C. The company said it had sent a representative to work with investigators.

Meanwhile, a silent parade was held Sunday in tribute to the victims and the people who responded to the explosion, following the intended route of Saturday's Independence Day parade.

In Pennsylvania, state police fire marshals were investigating the death of a worker Saturday at the start of the grand finale of fireworks at Quakertown's Memorial Park.

Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree said authorities immediately halted the show and evacuated part of the park in eastern Pennsylvania.

Authorities did not immediately identify the man's employer.

At Merrillville, Ind., the collapse of a wooden pedestrian bridge dropped at least 50 people into a lake Saturday night and injured about half of them, police said. None of the injuries was life-threatening, authorities said.

The collapse occurred at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville, about 45 miles southeast of Chicago, as spectators were leaving a fireworks display at about 10 p.m.

The wooden, cable-suspended bridge could support about 40 people at a time but as many as 80 were on it when it gave way, said Ross Township Trustee John Rooda, who attended the fireworks show. The township operates the park.

"The problem is it was overloaded," Rooda said.

In Albuquerque, N.M., a man watching a fireworks show was killed by lightning from a thunderstorm Saturday evening and his wife was also injured, police said. Names of the victims were not released and authorities said the woman was listed in stable condition at a hospital.

And in Missoula, Mont., an 8-year-old girl was accidentally electrocuted and two other children were injured while watching a fireworks show Saturday night from a church rooftop. Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin said the children had climbed on some air-conditioning equipment.

Home fireworks shows also proved dangerous.

In Wisconsin, Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath said a 12-year-old boy suffered a head injury when he was hit by one of the pyrotechnics fired at a July Fourth party. The boy was taken to a hospital in Milwaukee. His name and condition weren't released.

The Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., treated five patients who were hurt in fireworks accidents, spokeswoman Gail Short said Sunday.

Flames from fireworks damaged at least seven homes in western Washington state and destroyed some ranch housing near Harrah on the Yakama Indian Reservation, causing more than $2 million in damage, authorities said.

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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2009-07-04 19:18:49

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3 dead after NC fireworks go off, 1 in Pa. blast
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evelyna13a3

09:44 AMJul 06 2009

I have a friend where I can go sit in their backyard and watch the fireworks. My fun ended this weekend as the township is too cheap to send off the fireworks. Not only that-none bothered to notify the droves of people who show up every year to watch the fireworks.The 4th of July without fireworks! Simply appalling. More money wasted so the taxpayer cannot even enyjoy the 4th of July. Imagine the disappointment of all the kids! The counties and cities need to lay off their executives first and scrimp on services 2nd.

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mookumookumooku

05:28 AMJul 06 2009

When you play with fire, you get burned. For the person who said, "Ban fireworks shows since workers were killed," banning something promotes underground activity, always. I don't see the point in fireworks either, besides the "OOOH, pretty colors!" banter from the cave dwellers also known as 'the audience.'

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BettytheGrouch

05:21 AMJul 06 2009

I am so sorry too hear of all the tragic happenings during this wonderful holiday.......my thoughts and prayers go out too the victims and their loved ones...but at same time am happy too report that myself and all family memebers had a great time and we thank God for no tragic happenings our way...Hope all have a safe and enjoyable yr. til we can celebrate another wonderful 4th of July next yr.....God bless all.........

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ACMEHYDRAULIC

05:20 AMJul 06 2009

Hemplechamp - Maybe we should also ban cars, truck and airplanes. People are killed on those everyday. What a stupid idiot you are.

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jackieliao8573

04:32 AMJul 06 2009

I found a hot dating site.^-^ SuGarBaByMeeT.COM ^-^..there are many sexy young women chatting, hangout with mature men, It may fits u. It is free site, if u wanna try, I introduce some my friends 2 u.

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crumbs444

04:23 AMJul 06 2009

once at a fireworks display this rocket went off course and its star burst went off right over stands filled with spectators. then you could see these lit fuses falling into the crowd and they had the report of cherry bombs when they went off all around people. no one was hurt seriously, though

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BudMax77

04:21 AMJul 06 2009

More arms are lost by stupid fools that count off the seconds before throwing that grenade. Light the fuse and throw that thing as fast as can be. Only in the movies does anyone throw it back. LOL

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Pehfloor

04:16 AMJul 06 2009

SRosadosul 03:51 AMJul 06 2009 IM so tired of Sarah Palin Way Someone put a firecracker on her ass and We The People can rest from the spell from that witch AMEN....SRosadosul YOU ARE FULL OF HATE AND YOU ARE VERY IGNORANT. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD MOVE TO IRAN OR CUBA. AMERICA WILL NOT MISS YOU.

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Hempelchamp

04:11 AMJul 06 2009

Maybe, these firework shows should be banned; since those workers were killed.

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Chiara2

04:00 AMJul 06 2009

Melinda: Realize you slept through most of elementary school, but typically, plural nouns (as in "blastS") imply "more than one". I'm no fan of the media in general, but their headline was accurate. You're the idiot who can't read.

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