A three-year-old boy has tragically become the fourth victim of a devastating New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Honolulu, which also left over 20 people injured. The blast initially claimed the lives of three women and caused severe injuries to many others, with some suffering burns over much of their bodies.
With Hawaii’ s burn unit overwhelmed, six victims were urgently airlifted to Phoenix for treatment. Dr. Kevin Foster of the Arizona Burn Center shared the grim details in an online briefing: the patients, all in their 20s to 30s, suffered extensive injuries, with the least severe involving burns to 45 percent of the body and one case approaching 80 percent.
Currently on breathing support and in medically induced comas, these patients are described by Dr. Foster as “doing very well” given the severity of their conditions, with stable vital signs. However, their recovery journey will be lengthy, potentially lasting up to a year to regain some sense of normalcy, with some requiring extended periods in a coma. Dr. Foster noted that, in addition to their physical injuries, the patients are likely to face significant psychological trauma. To address this, with a similar case in Washington last July , the center provides robust mental health support, including care from two psychologists and a psychiatrist.