A Canberra fireworks display almost turned to disaster after a malfunction saw an entire barge spectacularly explode.
The event was organised by local radio station, the Southern Cross Austereo-owned Hit 104.7, and saw a large crowd gather at Lake Burley Griffin on Saturday evening to watch the pyrotechnics.
Actual footage of the explosion shows people screaming and running as the entire barge explodes. Thankfully, there were no reports of any physical injuries.
In a post to its Facebook page, Hit 104.7 wrote: “We can advise that one firework did malfunction, and while a small number of embers were reported to have landed along the nearby shoreline, no members of the public were injured.”
However, local mum, Ruth Ellison, who took her children to see the show, later tweeted: “Scary #Canberra #skyfire fireworks tonight. Had a barge mis-launch into our direction. Screaming terrified kids. Fortunately they managed to shut it down straight away. #stillshaking.”
Erinn Stanford, who was sitting on the shoreline with her partner and two young children, said they were left shaken and scared after the incident.
“It’s just not worth sitting that close anymore when you have kids,” Stanford told the ABC.
“Suddenly there was an explosion, but it wasn’t so much that as when suddenly the fireworks came towards [us]. Everyone ducked for cover.
“Obviously, the kids, especially our youngest, was really shaken up and traumatised. The two boys and I got up to run, along with a lot of other people,” Stanford said.
