Coroner's Finding: IO de-identified
Demographics
58y, male
Date of death
2021-09-18
Finding date
2023-03-17
Cause of death
Chest, blast and burn injuries due to the explosion of a commercial firework
AI-generated summary
A 58-year-old man died from blast and burn injuries after detonating a commercial firework in a metal mortar tube during a private party. He was intoxicated (blood alcohol 0.101g/100mL) and cannabis-positive when he left the party to ignite the device alone. The firework lacked the required slow-burn fuse, causing rapid unexpected ignition while he was leaning over the mortar tube. He was unlawfully in possession of this commercial-grade explosive for which he lacked required qualifications. The death was classified as misadventure. Key lessons: commercial fireworks pose extreme danger to unqualified persons; alcohol and drug impairment significantly impair decision-making; unlawful possession of explosives carries fatal risks. The coroner noted that immediate specialist Bomb Response Group advice should have been sought at the scene.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Unlawful possession of commercial firework without required qualifications
- Commercial firework lacked slow-burn fuse due to poor handling and storage
- Blood alcohol level of 0.101g/100mL causing impairment to thought processes and decision-making
- Cannabis in system
- Inadequate understanding of safe handling and detonation procedures
- Detonation of firework while leaning directly over mortar tube
Coroner's recommendations
- Whilst not formally mandated by section 28 of the Coroners Act, the coroner commented that for all known or believed explosive incidents, a member of the Bomb Response Group should be advised and provide initial expertise and guidance, as prescribed in the Tasmania Police Manual
Full text
Related cases
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —