Disaster in Spain: Firework shell veers into crowd, 27 injured | Footage

A firework shell veered off course during the Castell de l'Olla show in Altea, Spain, and struck the crowd. 27 people were injured, 11 were evacuated to a burn unit. The show, in its 40th edition, used 1,600 kg of gunpowder.

A massive fireworks display in the town of Altea in eastern Spain turned into a scene of disaster last night (between Saturday and Sunday), when a firework shell veered off course and hit directly into the crowd gathered on the beach. At least 27 people were injured in varying degrees, according to representatives of the organizing brotherhood and the Medical Emergency and Information Center (CICU) of the Valencian community. The incident occurred during the final segments of the Castell de l'Olla show, considered one of the most famous fireworks displays in the region, attracting about 50,000 visitors each year. The show, lasting 15-20 minutes, spans about half a kilometer in width and nearly 150 meters in height, and this year, in its 40th edition, was defined as the largest in history with the use of 1,600 kilograms of gunpowder. Footage uploaded to social media shows the shell leaving its trajectory, followed by a huge explosion and smoke on the beach, amid screams and panic. 14 of the 27 injured were initially evacuated to the private Imed hospital, and later 11 of them were transferred to the burn unit at Doctor Balmis Hospital in Alicante. Public medical teams evacuated three additional injured from the Altea health center: a 55-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman with burns to Marina Baixa Hospital in Villajoyosa, and a 19-year-old young man with bruises to Imed Hospital. The rest of the injured were treated on site for minor bruises.