Fireworks accident: 'Everyone started screaming'

Witnesses of the Simi Valley firework accident have described the 'mass explosion' which injured at least 28 people.

Joanne Herrera described the moment she realised the family firework display near Los Angeles had gone wrong: "I thought it was pretty spectacular, and then everything just went crazy and everybody started screaming."

The Fourth of July Simi Valley Fireworks Extravaganza had to be cancelled after the pyrotechnic display malfunctioned, sending exploding fireworks into the crowd of spectators, injuring at least 28 people.

Gregory Perkins, who witnessed the accident, said:

"After the first fireworks went up there was a mass explosion, everything went off, probably about 30 seconds, and then we had bits and pieces of fireworks coming at us, a big round cylinder block hit the person sitting next to me, not hard, but it did impact her."

Police were investigating what led to the explosion, and said early indications show a platform designed and built to hold the fireworks gave way.

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