Spectators running away from cannon fire: Using wet materials

The Department of Culture and Sports of Hue City has released a preliminary report on the incident during the cannon firing program at the Hue Flag Tower on the evening of May 3, which caused the audience to run away to avoid falling cannons.

According to the report, this event was organized by the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, hired by a business to carry out. The program used dark yellow or red F30 Z-shaped fire dragon frames from 21 Chemical One Member Co., Ltd., which are not in the group of explosives or fireworks.

The Hue Monuments Conservation Center explained that the incident occurred because the pyrotechnic effect did not meet technical requirements and the plan to order materials from Z21 had not been implemented yet. Technical staff arbitrarily used 58 old pyrotechnic tubes from the Hue Traditional Craft Festival in 2023, which were water-permeated, leading to poor quality.

Due to an installation error, the pyrotechnics were installed horizontally on the ground, causing the firing effect to deviate towards the audience. The Department of Culture and Sports of Hue City has requested the Center to review the technical process and audience flow, ensuring safety for programs using fireworks or flammable and explosive devices.

Technicians and managers need to be trained, improve their skills, and coordinate with the authorities before implementing the program. The center must not continue to operate large-scale activities with the mindset of "learning by doing".

In particular, it is necessary to provide documents proving that the type of fireworks used in the program on the evening of May 3 is as reported, and send them to Hue City Police for verification. The Center must seriously learn from experience and only organize fireworks displays when complying with legal regulations.

Earlier, during the fireworks display at the Hue Flag Tower, some fireworks flew over the Citadel Moat and landed in an area with many spectators, forcing them to flee. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The Center representative said that due to an unexpected technical problem, the firecrackers were damp and did not burn completely when fired. After the incident, the Department of Grassroots Culture, Family and Library requested Hue City to verify the information and handle violations if any.

On May 8, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Chairman of Hue City People's Committee, chaired a working session with the Center and related units.

Mr. Phuong assigned the Center to organize sound and light performances at the Flag Tower every Saturday evening, ensuring security, safety, fire prevention, and specifically announcing the time and location.

The Chairman of Hue City People's Committee directed the Center to study the Government's regulations on the management and use of fireworks to report as requested by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/vu-khan-gia-bo-chay-tranh-hoa-phao-sung-than-cong-su-dung-vat-lieu-am-uot-20250510125552880.htm