THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS KICK-OFF CELEBRATION IN THE PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, suburb of Etna finished a little earlier than planned Friday night after a mishap during the fireworks display.  The annual Light-Up Night brings thousands downtown for the festivities that culminates with a fireworks show.

But during the execution of this year’s display, one of the rocket platforms tipped over after the firing sequence had been started and the rockets started flying into the spectators instead of over them.  The display was being presented by noted fireworks firm Zambelli Internationale and was being launched from a vacant lot a couple of blocks away from the main activity center.  But still there was a group of about 150 to 200 people watching the launches from about 400 ft. away, according to Etna Fire Chief Greg Porter.  When the set of mortar tubes tipped over, the spectators began a mini-stampede to get out of the way of the hurtling rockets.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-News reports HERE:

“All of a sudden I heard this boom and thought it sounded really close, so I looked out the window and all I could see were people stampeding,” said Susan Haas Colonello, 45, of Hampton, co-owner of the Burke and Haas Always in Bloom florist at the corner of Bridge and Freeport. “You could see them stooping, running — and fireworks were going off right above their heads.”

Nine people, including children, suffered first- and second-degree burns from the explosions or bumps, bruises and cuts in the resulting panic, Porter said. All were treated at the scene, and some said they would drive themselves to local hospitals for further treatment. None was hurt badly enough to require emergency transportation.

The florist shop became a triage center after the accident, Colonello said, with emergency personnel sorting the injured from the merely stunned.

The first rounds started shooting at ground-level — one toward the bonfire but falling short of it; another up Freeport Street. Other rounds shot off toward surrounding buildings about six to eight feet off the ground. Burke said police and firefighters in the crowd started directing people away from the area and preventing a worse stampede. The whole salvo took about a minute and a half, he said.  “As soon as it happened, the fire department was issuing orders to put all the injured inside the store,” said Burke, 55, of Hampton. “Part of the reason things went so well for us is how well the police and fire department handled things.”