Firework in tube unexpectedly explodes, killing 16-year-old Tampa boy

TAMPA, Fla. -- (WPTV) -- A 16-year-old Tampa boy died after a fireworks mishap on Thursday night.

Police say the teenager attempted to deploy a large "mortar" round at a home in the 4200 block of Osborne Ave. E. by holding the firing tube in his hand.

He sustained injuries to his left hand and chest cavity when the tube unexpectedly exploded.

Paramedics responded to the accident scene and rushed him to Tampa General Hospital as a trauma alert where he was listed in extremely critical condition. He died at the hospital just after midnight.

Officers are continuing to investigate the cause of the explosion, which police are calling "an accident."

According to Consumer Products Safety Commission, more than 7,000 Americans suffered injuries due to fireworks in the month around the Fourth of July holiday in 2016. Each year about seven people are killed in fireworks-related mishaps.