Massive Explosion at California Fireworks Facility Leaves 2 Injured and 7 Missing – Details

A massive explosion at a Northern California pyrotechnics warehouse left several people missing and disrupted Fourth of July plans in neighboring areas.

A violent blast rocked a fireworks facility in Yolo County, California, on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, injuring two people and leaving seven others unaccounted for.

According to Fox News, the explosion occurred just before 6 p.m. in the small town of Esparto, triggering a large-scale emergency response that forced firefighters to retreat due to extreme hazards.

Firefighters initially entered the building to search for victims but quickly withdrew after assessing the extent of the destruction. Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence said the conditions inside were too hazardous to continue, citing "the severity and the risks that were there" during a news conference on Wednesday, July 2.

Since the explosion, emergency crews have avoided reentering the building. Instead, they have used aerial drones to scan the large debris field for any signs of the missing individuals.

Officials have not confirmed whether the missing people worked at the facility, but no firefighters suffered injuries in the blast.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the explosion. Leading the inquiry, the Office of the State Fire Marshal deployed an arson and bomb team to the site.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) confirmed the building belonged to a licensed pyrotechnics operator, though authorities have not released the owner's name.

The blast knocked out power for hundreds of residents, and officials have kept access to the surrounding area restricted. As of Wednesday afternoon, only a few fire units remained at the scene, down from more than 30 that initially responded.

Lawrence said conditions remain too dangerous to allow crews back inside. "This is obviously an incident of great magnitude," he said, adding that his team was working to reduce the exclusion zone and safely restore power to the community.

He also commended the area's largely volunteer fire crews and thanked mutual aid partners who responded to the crisis.

The fallout from the explosion has extended beyond the immediate emergency response, affecting Fourth of July celebrations across Northern California.

In San Jose, officials canceled the city's fireworks show at Lake Cunningham after the planned pyrotechnics were destroyed in the blast. Mayor Matt Mahan said the city is exploring alternatives, though the Friday festivities at Lake Cunningham Park will go on without fireworks.

Other cities that relied on the same supplier have made similar decisions. The Cloverdale Lions Club announced it was canceling its annual aerial fireworks display, stating the Yolo County facility served as its designated source for professional-grade fireworks.

In Napa County, St. Helena also canceled its show, citing a "vendor emergency," but said all other Independence Day events would proceed as planned.

Meanwhile, San Francisco officials confirmed that the city's fireworks display over the Embarcadero is still scheduled to take place. It remains unclear whether additional shows in the region will be affected.

As California crews continue searching for the missing, a separate deadly explosion has been reported in southern India.

The death toll from an explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Telangana, India, has risen to at least 36, with dozens more injured, according to local officials on July 1.

As reported by the Associated Press, fire crews found 34 burned bodies at the site, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Hyderabad, according to G.V. Narayana Rao, the state's fire services chief. Two more workers died later in the hospital from severe burns.

"The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours," Rao said, adding that debris was still being cleared to check if anyone remained trapped.

The incident occurred on Monday, June 30, in the factory's spray dryer unit, a critical part of the drug manufacturing process. The plant, reportedly operated by Sigachi Industries, had 108 workers on site when the explosion happened.

Witnesses reported hearing the blast from several kilometers away. Emergency crews have been working to remove debris and locate any additional victims.

After the charred bodies were recovered, Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha stated, "As bodies were badly burnt and mutilated, a special medical team has been deployed to conduct DNA tests." Meanwhile, the state government has set up a panel to investigate the cause of the deadly explosion.

Sigachi Industries, which produces microcrystalline cellulose and other pharmaceutical ingredients, called the explosion "unfortunate" in a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange. Sigachi confirmed significant structural damage and announced a 90-day suspension of operations at the affected site.

The facility accounts for over a quarter of its annual production capacity. The firm reportedly operates five manufacturing facilities across India and maintains subsidiaries in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Following the explosion, Sigachi's shares reportedly fell 8% on Tuesday, July 1, extending a nearly 10% drop from the previous day.

The tragedy in Telangana came just weeks after another disaster struck India's aviation sector. An Air India (AI) flight bound for London tragically crashed on Thursday, June 12, just minutes after taking off from the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. Grieving families were left to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

The incident involved flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8, which was carrying 244 people—232 passengers and 12 crew members—according to officials. Of the 232 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, while one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were also among those traveling.

A further breakdown revealed that the passengers included 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. The total number of fatalities had yet to be confirmed at the time.

"Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia)," a spokesperson for Air India confirmed on X.

The aircraft had departed at 1:38 p.m. local time. It was scheduled to land at London's Gatwick Airport at 6:25 p.m. According to data from Flight Radar, it lost signal just seconds after takeoff, having reached an altitude of 625 feet.

Before communication with the aircraft was severed, the aircraft issued a mayday alert to air traffic control. No further communication followed after the distress call.

The plane went down in a residential area called Meghani Nagar, crashing into a medical college hostel, only five minutes into the flight. The densely populated neighborhood lies near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, a city of over 5 million residents.

Visuals aired on local news channels showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

Weather conditions were reported to be calm and clear at the time of the crash, according to flight safety expert Marco Chan. Aviation forecasts indicated light surface winds and visibility of around six kilometers, with no severe weather, storms, or wind shear present that could have impacted the flight.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, confirmed the location of the crash and the number of people on board.

India's Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, shared that emergency response teams had been dispatched to the scene, with efforts underway to provide immediate medical assistance and necessary relief to those affected.

"We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," he noted. "My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families."

Operations at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport have been suspended, with the airport remaining closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, local politician Darshna Vaghela told reporters that several doctors' flats in the area were damaged in the crash. He said he was nearby at the time and helped rescue many of the residents from their homes.

According to local media reports, the aircraft came down on the dining hall of the government-run B.J. Medical College hostel.

Footage aired showed part of the plane lodged on top of the building. "We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed," Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, said.

A parent, Ramila, shared that her son had just entered the hostel for a lunch break when the plane crashed. He jumped from the second floor and was injured, but was later reported safe.

Anxious relatives gathered outside hospitals in Ahmedabad awaiting news of loved ones have also spoken out. Among them was Poonam Patel, who said his sister-in-law had been on the London-bound flight. "Within an hour, I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here," he said.

Records show the crashed aircraft frequently operates routes between India and cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. This marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787-8, a significant moment for the aircraft that has maintained a strong safety record since its launch 14 years ago.

Known as the Dreamliner, the model recently celebrated a major milestone, having transported a billion passengers across nearly five million flights. The global fleet of more than 1,175 Dreamliners has accumulated over 30 million flight hours.

The incident was a serious setback for Boeing, which had already been under pressure due to ongoing issues with its 737 aircraft line. It also posed a new challenge for CEO Kelly Ortberg, who was nearing his one-year mark at the helm and had been appointed to help steer the company through mounting concerns about its operations and reliability.

The last deadly aviation accident in India occurred in 2020, resulting in 21 deaths. An Air India Express flight, part of the airline's budget division, overshot a tabletop runway at Kozhikode International Airport in the south.

The Boeing 737 skidded, plunged into a valley, and crashed nose-first. Since then, Air India has undergone significant changes. Once state-run, the airline was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and later merged with Vistara — its joint venture with Singapore Airlines — in 2024.