| Date | 7 May 1991 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3.45 pm MST |
| Location | Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia |
| Also known as | Hiroshima of Sungai Buloh |
| Cause | Testing on new fireworks |
| Deaths | 26 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 103 |
| Property damage | MYR1 million, 200 residents homes were destroyed as a result of the explosion at the firecracker factory |
The Bright Sparklers fireworks disaster occurred in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia on 7 May 1991 at 3:45 (MST).[1][2] The Bright Sparklers fireworks factory in Sungai Buloh, Selangor caught fire and caused a huge explosion.[1][2] Twenty six people were killed and over a hundred people were injured in the disaster.[2] The explosion was strong enough to rip off the roofs of some local houses, and ended up damaging over 200 residential properties and was felt as far as 7-8 kilometers from the side.[3]
Cause
[edit]The tragedy is believed to have been caused by explosive chemicals spilled during an experiment in the canteen of the factory. The chemicals touched off fires that rapidly spread to a nearby pile of large firecrackers, known as the "bazookas". These in turn set off the chain of explosions that ripped apart the factory and the nearby buildings, including the factory and nearby Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh.
Victims
[edit]26 people were killed and 103 people were injured. Victims were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for further treatments.
Memorial
[edit]A small memorial in the design of a Chinese pavilion was erected at the site in 1998. Underneath it are three memorial stones, each written in Malay, Chinese and Tamil. [4]
The site is near the Kampung Selamat MRT station.
In popular culture
[edit]TV3's documentary programme, Detik Tragik (Tragic Moments) produced an episode about the fireworks disaster.
See also
[edit]- 1991 Culemborg, Netherlands fireworks disaster – occurred around 3–4 months before the Bright Sparklers disaster
- 2000 Enschede, Netherlands fireworks disaster, a similar incident
- 2004 Kolding, Denmark fireworks disaster, a similar incident
- 2015 Tianjin explosions
- 2017 Tangerang, Indonesia fireworks disaster, happened in the neighbouring country of Indonesia
- 2020 Port of Beirut disaster
- List of fires
- List of industrial disasters
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jayakrishman, S.; Chung, Alex (17 April 1993). "Firm Blamed for Explosion". New Sunday Times. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- ^ a b c Pereira, Ian; David, Adrian (7 May 2001). "Painful memories of Bright Sparklers". New Straits Times. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- ^ "Sungai Buloh new village well-known for SMEs and restaurants offering good food". The Star. Malaysia. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ "3.200482, 101.562354". Google Maps. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
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