An explosion of pyrotechnic material during the chupinazo of the Noáin (Navarra) festivities has left at least 47 minor injuries and three people hospitalized for burns this Wednesday. The accident occurred around 12:00 hours on the balcony of the Town Hall, which was crowded at that moment for the start of the patron saint festivities.
The accident happened in the Plaza de los Fueros, when the rockets that traditionally announce the start of the Noáin festivities were being launched.
According to the information provided by the Town Hall to RTVE, there were about 50 people on the balcony of the municipal building, including around a dozen minors. After the explosion, there were moments of confusion due to the smoke and noise generated by the pyrotechnic material.
The emergency services attended to 47 people with minor injuries, mainly ear pain, burns, and other injuries. Three men had to be transferred to the University Hospital of Navarra.
Three men transferred to the hospital for burns
The three hospitalized are 53, 54, and 41 years old and have burns on their hands and feet. They were undergoing medical evaluation after being transferred from Noáin.
Among them is the municipal employee who was participating in the launch of the rockets, as explained by the Councilor for Citizen Security, Luis Maya.
The rest of the affected received assistance at the local health center. In the first minutes after the accident, a provisional space was also set up in the Town Hall to attend to the injured.
The rockets ignited practically at the same time
The Town Hall is working with a preliminary explanation of how the accident occurred.
According to the Councilor for Citizen Security to EFE, after the launch of the first rocket, a second was being prepared while the employee in charge was carrying the rest of the pyrotechnic material in his hand.
"I don't know if it was a lapse or a push," Maya explained, before pointing out that the rockets ignited at the same time and exploded on the balcony, which was completely full.
The specific circumstances will need to be determined once what happened is analyzed. For now, the councilor himself has raised the lapse or a possible push only as a hypothesis and not as a confirmed cause.
"Moments of panic" in the Town Hall
The mayor of Noáin, Mikel Navarro, has explained to RTVE that inside the building there were moments of "panic".
Witnesses cited by EFE described a situation of great confusion both on the balcony and in the square after the explosions, with a significant accumulation of smoke and noise.
The response of the emergency services was immediate. In the area were members of Civil Protection, Municipal Police, Civil Guard, and firefighters, while the health center is located next to the Town Hall.
Chivite offers the support of the Government of Navarra
The president of the Government of Navarra, María Chivite, has contacted the mayor after the accident to learn about the situation of those affected.
Chivite has conveyed the support of the regional executive and has offered her collaboration in any need arising from the incident. She has also wished for a speedy recovery for the injured.
The explosion occurred precisely during the event that marked the beginning of the patron saint festivities of Noáin, so numerous people were concentrated in the square of the Fueros and in the Town Hall itself.