More than 40 injured as fireworks explode into crowd at Noáin fiestas in Spain

There is usually little thought given to danger when a town gathers to celebrate the start of its fiestas, with families and friends packing into the streets to watch the traditional opening fireworks. In Noáin, Navarra, however, the celebrations turned chaotic within seconds after several rockets exploded at the same time, leaving dozens of people injured and sending three to hospital.

The incident happened shortly after midday today, August 26, as crowds gathered in the Plaza de los Fueros for the chupinazo marking the beginning of the local fiestas. At least 47 people were treated at the town’s health centre for minor injuries, while three men were taken to the Hospital Universitario de Navarra with burns. 

Fireworks explode during the chupinazo

The incident occurred moments after the first rocket had been launched from the balcony of Noáin Town Hall. According to Luis Maya, the town’s councillor for Citizen Security, a second rocket was being prepared when several rockets being held by a municipal services employee were ignited at the same time. Maya said it was not yet clear whether this happened because of an oversight or because the employee was pushed in the crowd. 

The fireworks then exploded on the Town Hall balcony, which was crowded at the time. Footage from the scene shows several explosions occurring almost simultaneously as people gathered below watched the start of the celebrations. The incident caused panic among those in the square, with emergency services quickly moving into the area to treat the injured.

Dozens treated after the explosions

The scale of the incident became clear as medical teams began treating people affected by the explosions. A total of 47 people were treated at Noáin health centre, according to Navarra’s Department of Health. Their injuries were described as minor and included burns, ear pain and other minor trauma. None of those 47 patients required transfer to hospital. 

A further three men required further medical attention and were taken to the Hospital Universitario de Navarra. They are aged 53, 54 and 41 and were being assessed for burns following the incident.  One of those taken to hospital was the municipal services employee who had been handling the fireworks, according to the account given by the Citizen Security councillor.  The number of people affected prompted authorities to use the Town Hall’s plenary hall as a temporary medical area, allowing injured people to be assessed close to where the incident occurred. 

Emergency services rush to the scene

Firefighters from Cordovilla, ambulances providing advanced and basic life support, medical personnel and several police forces were sent to the area. Officers from the Policía Local, Policía Foral and Guardia Civil attended, with the Guardia Civil taking responsibility for the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

The response began almost immediately after the explosions, as medical teams treated those suffering burns, hearing problems and other injuries. The incident also temporarily disrupted the start of the fiestas as emergency personnel dealt with the consequences of the fireworks going off together rather than as planned.

Investigation into what went wrong

Authorities have not said that the incident was caused deliberately. The explanation given so far is that the fireworks may have been ignited together following an oversight or an accidental push in the crowded balcony area. The Guardia Civil is handling the relevant proceedings as investigators establish exactly how the rockets were triggered and why several exploded at once. 

The investigation comes after a planned celebration that had been expected to mark the beginning of several days of festivities in Noáin. The official programme had scheduled the opening rocket for noon from the Town Hall balcony, accompanied by the Comparsa de Gigantes, Txaranga Turrutxiki and Gaiteros de Pamplona.  The celebrations had therefore barely begun when the fireworks accident changed the atmosphere in the Plaza de los Fueros.

Navarra’s president, María Chivite, contacted Noáin’s mayor following the incident and offered the regional government’s support and cooperation. She also wished those injured a speedy recovery. The investigation will now focus on how the fireworks were handled and what caused multiple rockets to ignite at the same time.