Two men suffered serious injuries Friday afternoon after handling undetonated fireworks.
The first incident happened just after 12:45 p.m., in the 1100 block of S. Emporia. 911 dispatch received multiple calls reporting a 39-year-old man may have been shot. Officers arrived and found the man with major injuries to his stomach and left hand. Officers applied a tourniquet to the man’s hand and Sedgwick County EMS transported him to a local hospital for treatment.
Wichita Police say the man picked up a firework that failed to detonate and it exploded.
About 90 minutes later, a second explosion was reported in the 2400 block of George Washington Boulevard. A 37-year-old man suffered severe injuries after an unknown object believed to be an older firework exploded in his hand.
Investigators say the man found the item in the 1700 block of S. Hillside, lit it and intended to throw it into the water. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to a local hospital where he remains in critical but stable condition.
In both incidents, the WPD Ordnance Disposal Unit responded and Police also deployed an explosive detection canine to conduct safety sweeps in the areas where the items were found.
Police say unexploded fireworks can detonate with little warning. If you find something suspicious, they urge you to leave it in place and call 911.