Fireworks for a Fourth of July celebration were accidentally launched into the crowded stands of Brigham Young University’s football stadium in Utah, leaving several people injured, police said.
The misfire unfolded Thursday night during the annual Stadium of Fire event at BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, KUTV reported. Janna-Lee Holland, a spokesperson for the Provo Police Department, said the opening ceremony had just gotten underway when the chaos kicked off.
Video shared on social media shows a pack of jets soaring over the venue, followed by a series of fireworks spiraling up into the air. Several of them however, erroneously zip sideways instead of upwards, and directly into rows of spectators packed together in the stands along the east side of the outdoor sporting arena. Others shot toward the center of the stadium, where some of the performers scheduled for the night were gathered.
Holland said the exact number of people injured and their conditions were not clear. According to ABC 4, six people were hospitalized in connection with the incident. One of them was reportedly struck in the face and left critically injured, KSL reported.
“Safety is of the upmost importance to us,” event spokesperson Emory Cook said in a statement.
“All pyrotechnics are thoroughly checked before the show, and were rechecked after the incident,” she continued. “Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by the incident and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay.”
The mishap temporarily delayed the Fourth of July festivities in Provo, which also featured a performance from the Jonas Brothers. The show resumed around 9 p.m., some 15 minutes after the fireworks malfunction.
