A man in his fifties was severely injured on the evening of August 23rd after a powerful firework exploded in his hand in Heiðmörk, RÚV reports.
Ásgeir Þór Ásgeirsson, chief of police, said that the man picked up the firework, which then exploded, and he suffered a number of injuries on his left hand. Fortunately, his wife was present, and was able to wrap her sweater around his arm and stem the bleeding. He was rushed to the emergency room in Fossvogur, where he underwent surgery.
Police and other experts are still not completely sure what type of firework it was, but they think it was a three-inch Tívolí firework. Another one was found at the scene and destroyed by bomb experts.
Skúli Jónsson, assistant chief of police in Reykjavík, said that such fireworks have not been sold for years. “If I remember correctly, the general sale of three-inch Tívolí fireworks has not been allowed for many years. We do not know where this is coming from.” He added that it is impossible to know how long the firework has been in Heiðmörk.
Ásgeir said that the fireworks were left behind undetonated. He went on to say that if people see fireworks out in the open, they ought to report them to the police and not handle them at all. “Likewise, parents should have this conversation with their children, because this can have serious consequences, as in this case.”
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