SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – At least 28 people were injured Thursday night due to malfunctioning fireworks at an annual 4th of July show northwest of Los Angeles, authorities said.
Police Cmdr. John Parks said a detonation occurred about 9:20 p.m. at the city-run Fireworks Extravaganza located in a large community park in Simi Valley.
"There was an accidental detonation of a professional fireworks show that resulted in the cancellation of the show," Parks told the Ventura County Star.
It wasn't clear how many people were in attendance but Parks said the event usually attracts several thousand revelers.
Dozens of people were taken to area hospitals with minor to moderate injuries, said Jordan Roberts, a public safety dispatcher with the Ventura County Fire Department.
Steve Williams, a park ranger with the Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District, told the Ventura County star that some fireworks went sideways instead of straight up near the start of the show.
A video clip show on KCAL-TV shows a pair of firework blasts at or near the ground. It wasn't known how close people were to the blast's origin. Another clip posted on YouTube shot from a distance shows three ground-level bursts. The fireworks continue for almost another minute before stopping.
"There was a big boom, everybody started running down the street, people were screaming," Justice Allen, 17, of Simi Valley told the Los Angeles Times. "Everybody was just terrified. People hid in bushes."
The annual July Fourth celebration has been sponsored by the city and the local Rotary Club for the past 43 years.
Simi Valley is about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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