Firework ‘larger than M-80’ explodes in 11-year-old girl’s hand, Michigan cops say
An 11-year-old girl lost multiple fingers after lighting a firework inside the bathroom of her home, Michigan police told local news outlets.
The River Rouge Police Department responded around 5 p.m. June 27 to reports of a house explosion, WDIV reported.
“The scene was chaotic,” River Rouge Deputy Police Chief Dasumo Mitchell told WJBK.
Based on the structural damage of the home, police believe the explosive was “something larger than an M-80 that went off inside,” Mitchell said.
According to police, the firework was 3 to 4 inches long, WJBK reported.
M-80s, which is illegal in the U.S., are about half that size, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association.
Police said the 11-year-old and her sister thought the firework was something smaller like a sparkler.
The girl was holding the explosive when it went off, causing “severe injuries to her right hand,” Mitchell said.
Police said the girls’ mother was at work, so they ran down the street to a neighbor’s house for help.
“One of the neighbors is a nurse, and she applied the tourniquet immediately, so we applaud her for her quick thinking,” Mitchell told WDIV.
Authorities said the 11-year-old lost four fingers in the accident, WDIV reported.
The accident is under investigation, according to the news outlets.
River Rouge is about a 10-mile drive southwest from Detroit.
This story was originally published June 28, 2024 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Firework ‘larger than M-80’ explodes in 11-year-old girl’s hand, Michigan cops say."
