Two people, a 7-year-old boy and his 24-year-old sister, were killed during the July 14 fireworks Thursday evening in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire), reports the public prosecutor of Angers, Éric Bouillard, confirming information from local media.

A third person was injured following a "shooting incident" during the fireworks display shortly after 11 p.m.

The boy and his sister were watching the fireworks with other members of their family and were "about fifty meters from the launch pad" when the accident occurred "around 11:10 p.m. on stable ground at next to the Cholet stadium", according to Éric Bouillard.

"At this stage, no other injuries have been reported," added the magistrate, refusing to give further details.

Asked about the circumstances of the accident, the prosecutor mentioned a "shooting incident", without further details.

“It is far too early” to say more, he added.

An investigation for manslaughter was entrusted to the Departmental Security and the Cholet police station.

The municipality has been working "for years" with the fireworks specialist, assured the mayor of Cholet, Gilles Bourdouleix.

"This is the first time" that such a tragedy has occurred during the July 14 festivities in Cholet.

He said security personnel "advised people" near the scene of the crash "to move away".

A movement of panic after the explosion

Laurent Picard attended the accident, of which he posted some video images on Facebook.

"I was 5/6 meters from the explosion with my two daughters, I received sparks and felt the heat of the blast," he testified to AFP.

"Fortunately, where I was placed I served as a shield for my daughters in a way."

At the end of this video of a little over a minute, we see what looks like the explosion of a rocket among a small crowd massed behind a fence, then shouts and people running in all directions, while flames are visible on the ground.

"Is it a rocket that went off or exploded on the way down? It happened so fast, I couldn't say," he added.

Shortly after the explosion, Laurent Picard said he saw a man lying on the ground, apparently burned, and a woman to whom rescuers were giving heart massage.

"It was screaming everywhere, it was a bit of a panic," he recalls, still shocked.

"I took the girls to safety. It could have been us!"

Despite the incident, the fireworks were completed and the crowd dispersed, he said.

About 70 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, according to the Courrier de l'Ouest.

With AFP

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