Generator explosion injures 59 at Japanese fireworks festival

An explosion blamed on a gas generator injured 59 people at a fireworks festival in Japan, 19 of them critically, authorities said. Five people, including a 10-year-old boy, suffered what might be life-threatening injuries, Kyodo News Service reported. The blast occurred shortly before the start of the fireworks display in Kyoto. Investigators said it began at a row of stalls in the viewing area on the opposite side of the Yura River from the fireworks platform. The fireworks were canceled after the blast. Investigators said a stall owner may have set off the blast by pouring gasoline into a generator, possibly setting off a propane tank. The fireworks display organized by the local chamber of commerce drew an audience of more than 100,000 people last year. This year, 350 stalls had been set up to sell food and souvenirs to viewers. "I heard a bang and then saw smoke," said a member of the chamber of commerce who was serving as a volunteer and was about 200 yards from the explosion.