6th person dies from New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Hawaii

HONOLULU (KHNL/Gray News) - The New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Hawaii has just taken a sixth life, according to officials.

Honolulu police said a 30-year-old woman died just before 6 a.m. Wednesday at a local hospital. She has not been identified.

The woman was among more than 20 people injured in a massive explosion, caused by what officials determined were illegal fireworks.

The explosion initially killed three people. Two women, identified as 61-year-old Carmelita Benigno and 58-year-old Nelie Ibarra, were pronounced dead at the scene. Another woman, identified as 23-year-old Jennifer Van, died hours later from her injuries.

A fourth victim, 3-year-old Cassius Ramos-Benigno, died on Jan. 6.

Six of the survivors were flown to Arizona for specialized burn treatment at the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center Valleywise Health.

One of those patients, 29-year-old Kevin Vallesteros, died on Jan. 28.

The Straub Benioff Medical Center in Honolulu previously said four patients remained in their care.

Honolulu Police said police have arrested 10 suspects in connection with the investigation, with more arrests coming.

Police said approximately 500 pounds of unused illegal fireworks were recovered from the carport and from vehicles belonging to individuals at the gathering.

Copyright 2025 KHNL/KGMB via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.