Death Toll From Salt Lake Fireworks Explosion Rises To 6
Eight people are still being treated in burn units in Arizona and Honolulu, and the police investigation is ongoing.
The toll of the New Year’s tragedy in Salt Lake continues to grow, with a sixth death Wednesday following a 10th arrest last week.
Among those killed and injured were multiple members of one family, including a 61-year-old grandmother, her 58-year-old sister, and 3-year-old grandson.
The sixth victim is a 30-year-old woman who died Wednesday morning at a hospital in Honolulu, according to Honolulu police. Her name has not yet been released by the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office.
The fireworks explosion, which occurred at around midnight on New Year’s Eve at 4144 Keaka Drive in Honolulu’s Salt Lake neighborhood, injured more than 20 people and sparked broad calls for a harsher crackdown on fireworks offenses, including from Gov. Josh Green.
Since the incident, police have arrested 10 people on suspicion of class C felonies, including charges of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. No charges have been filed so far.
Five seriously and critically injured burn patients remain in treatment at the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix and three patients are still being treated at the Straub Benioff Medical Center Burn Care Unit in Honolulu. Most of the patients are in their 20s and 30s, according to the hospitals.
The explosion is by far the deadliest fireworks incident in recent Honolulu history.
In 2011, four people were killed and two were injured in a blast at a former military bunker in Waikele where confiscated fireworks were being stored.
What We Know About The Victims
Carmelita Benigno, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene of the blast on Jan. 1.
She was born in the Philippines and , according to an online obituary. She was a mother of four and a grandmother of 12, and her loved ones knew her for her welcoming call of “Eh, come eat!”
“Her home was a place of laughter and togetherness, where everyone felt like family,” the obituary says.
Her 3-year-old grandson, Cassius Ramos-Benigno, died on Jan. 6 at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.
Her children Nelson Benigno Jr. and Charmaine Benigno are among the patients still being treated at Phoenix’s Halle Arizona Burn Center, according to an online fundraiser created by family members.
Carmelita Benigno鈥檚 other son, Cedric Benigno, lived in the home and attended the gathering with his girlfriend and their four children, all of whom suffered minor to moderate injuries, according to the GoFundMe page.
Cedric Benigno and his girlfriend, Jessica Ferrer, were each arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a minor, reckless endangering and multiple fireworks citations. They were released pending investigation, according to police.
Carmelita Benigno’s sister, Nelie Ibarra, 58, was also pronounced dead at the scene of the blast. She was and had four children 鈥 two sons and two daughters, according to an online obituary.
鈥淣elie was a kind, supportive, humble, and hardworking woman who cherished her family above all else,鈥 her obituary says. 鈥淪he loved going on her phone, connecting with loved ones, and staying engaged with the world around her.鈥
A neighbor, Cathy Labasan, described her as a hard worker who almost never took a day off.
Jennifer Van, 23, died at a Honolulu hospital at around 5 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to police. She worked as an assistant manager at the Wahiaw膩 branch of Central Pacific Bank, according to the bank’s president and CEO, Arnold Martines.
鈥淗er kindness, dedication, and vibrant energy positively impacted everyone who had the pleasure of working with her,” he said in a statement.
Her cousin, Loan Dao, that Van was a kind, devoted person with an outgoing personality.
“She was such a carefree person. She was in her early 20s just enjoying her life,” Dao told the news outlet. “She was always there to try to take care of her family.”
Dao鈥檚 brother and her brother鈥檚 girlfriend were also seriously injured in the blast and are among the patients being treated in Arizona, according to KITV.
Another victim, Kevin Vallesteros, 29, died Jan. 28 at the burn center in Phoenix. He was the , according to 贬补飞补颈驶颈 News Now. His partner, Melissa Cabrera, was also injured and remains hospitalized in the Arizona Burn Center.
Ongoing Investigation
Police have said more arrests are forthcoming. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement the case is still being investigated.
In addition to Cedric Benigno and Jessica Ferrer, four other couples who attended the gathering with their young children have been arrested. They are Daniel Combis, 32, and Sherri Ho, 29; Ruben Mateo, 33, and Jewel Cabras, 33; Demi Mendoza, 31, and Rin Dao, 32; and Michael Cabato, 29, and Aidalys Benito, 28.
Police say the blast occurred after a person attending the party attempted to light an aerial cake in the driveway of the Keaka Drive home. The cake tipped over, shooting an aerial into two crates of unused fireworks and setting off a chain reaction explosion that lasted minutes, according to police and neighbors who witnessed the blast.
Dozens of people, including children, had been sitting at tables lined up in the driveway of the home before the stray fireworks shot past them and caused the explosion, according to one neighbor, Keali鈥檌 Kaolulo, who said he helped wheel injured people on a flatbed handcart to a nearby street where the Honolulu Emergency Services Department had staged a triage station.聽
Civil Beat reporter Caitlin Thompson contributed to this report.
