A 42-year-old man was killed when a powerful firework exploded in his hand during a Fourth of July celebration in a Southern California neighborhood, officials said Tuesday.
Paramedics responding around 6:30 p.m. Monday found the victim with severe injuries at a home in Montebello, said Michael Chee, a city spokesperson.
The man was attempting to light a "high powered, mortar type, aerial firework" that is illegal in Montebello and the surrounding county of Los Angeles, Chee said in a statement.
"The victim apparently attempted to hold the device when the firework went off and caused severe trauma to his upper torso," the statement said.
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The man, who was not immediately identified, died at a hospital, Chee said.
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Fireworks paraphernalia were confiscated at the home and an investigation is ongoing, officials said.