Western Michigan firework blast leaves 1 woman dead, 9 others injured, prompting investigation

A fireworks explosion in western Michigan killed one woman left nine other people with injuries ranging from critical to minor, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department said.

The explosion happened Monday, but a news release from the department did not say whether it occurred during an organized July Fourth public event. Deputies and ambulances responded to Main Street in Park Township shortly after 11 p.m. for a report that a firework exploded injuring several people, the release said.

A 43-year-old woman from the city of Holland died at the scene, the sheriff’s department said. Nine other people were taken to area hospitals.

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Several area homes and vehicles also were damaged, the release said.

The explosion is under investigation.

Park Township has a population of about 18,000. It’s on the Lake Michigan shore about 30 miles southwest of Grand Rapids.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that in 2022, 10,200 people were treated at emergency rooms and 11 deaths were blamed on fireworks. About three-quarters of injuries happened in the period around the Fourth of July.