Honolulu Fireworks Blast Victims Are Identified
UPDATES: The medical examiner鈥檚 office released the names for two of the three women killed and a 20-year-old who died in a separate fireworks incident.
Honolulu released names for two of three women who died in the New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Salt Lake but said the identity of the third victim has not been confirmed.
The women were killed and more than two dozen other people seriously injured when fireworks exploded in a garage at 4144 Keaka Drive just after midnight.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday that 58-year-old Nelie Ibarra and 23-year-old Jennifer Van were among those killed. It did not provide more details, saying the cause and manner of death for the women was pending.
The name of the third deceased victim has not yet been confirmed and will be released later, according to the press release.
City officials also identified 20-year-old Jayson Ramos as the man who died in a separate fireworks-related accident in Kalihi. Ramos died of blast injuries to his head and right hand, according to a press release from Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s office.
Police just after 11 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a Honolulu police incident report. Paramedics took Ramos to a hospital in critical condition, and he was pronounced dead at around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
A neighbor who knew Ibarra said she lived at the end of Keaka Drive and worked two jobs as a certified nursing assistant.
“I don’t think she has a day off,” said Cathy Labasan, who also lives on Keaka Drive.
Van worked as an assistant manager at the Wahiawa branch of Central Pacific Bank. She had worked for the bank since 2019.
鈥淲e were deeply saddened to learn of Jennifer鈥檚 passing,” Arnold Martines, Central Pacific Bank president and CEO, said in a statement. “Her kindness, dedication, and vibrant energy positively impacted everyone who had the pleasure of working with her. The entire CPB ohana joins me in expressing our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones during this difficult time.鈥
Neighbors and friends said between 30 and 40 people were at the house celebrating and preparing to ring in the New Year when a stray firework shot into the garage, hitting other still-unused fireworks and setting off a chain reaction explosion. Officials say a rectangular configuration of fireworks known as a cake tipped over and blasted into a portion of the remaining supply.
Authorities say many people, including children, suffered severe burns and shrapnel injuries.
The incident has sparked calls for a tougher law enforcement crackdown on illegal fireworks. Use of aerial fireworks without a valid pyrotechnic permit is already prohibited in 贬补飞补颈驶颈, and the City and County of Honolulu banned all fireworks except firecrackers in 2011.
