About 150 people were injured, but no one was killed during the West Lake International Expo opening
A dazzling display of fireworks turned horribly wrong about 30 minutes into the show when the fireworks started landing on people in the crowd.
The fireworks were being set off to open the West Lake International Expo in the eastern city of Hangzhou. While most of them exploded high in the air, organizers had some billed as low-altitude and low-pollution.
"I was thinking of going home earlier than the display closed. But suddenly something unidentified rushed towards us before I realized what it was," said local resident Mrs. Mao in a CNN article. "I saw my husband lying on the ground and I picked him up. At that time the site was in a mess as the fireworks fell on and bounded from the ground. Then we hurried to escape the site."
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About 150 people were treated for burns and five are reportedly still in hospital, but there are no reports of deaths.
China Daily reports one tourist said four or five shot right at her like bullets. People also complained security officers were inexperienced and didn't do much to help people when the crowd began to scatter.
One reporter for the Beijing Daily News is calling for an investigation saying there were about one million people on hand and no emergency plans were adopted.
"This is typical of the sorts of situations that should be avoided," writes the reporter. "The government's ignorance of people's lives and safety contrasts sharply with its earnestness in trying to promote economic growth."
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The people who put on this display in China weren't the first to have issues. This year's San Diego Independence Day display exploded prematurely in only 15 seconds. People watching the display tweeted they thought there was some sort of bomb going off. No one was injured.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. However, China Daily reports a malfunction occurred while setting off the fireworks leading to the midair explosion. Those injured are being compensated.