A man was taken to a Maryland hospital with “catastrophic injuries” to both hands after setting off fireworks, fire officials said.
Firefighters responded to a report of a person injured by fireworks around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday in Millersville, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department said Wednesday.
Investigators found the injured person was attending a large outdoor party where a number of attendees had brought illegal fireworks.
The 21-year-old victim held a mortar tube in one hand and dropped a lit mortar into it with his other hand, investigators said. The mortar was upside down, and the explosion injured his hands. The department described the injuries as critical but not life-threatening.
No one else was hurt, and no criminal charges were filed.
