Blast ends fireworks record hopes
Friday 21 August 2009
Latest in Home News
Related articles
On Facebook
From the blogs
Sepp Blatter: Penalty shoot-outs must remain, they’re football’s great leveller
As England supporters, we should scorn at any such deciding factor within football. On so many occas...
Why do some men consider the street as a female meat market?
Pronouncements on sexual inequality in the UK are normally met with an eye roll by my generation. As...
Political corruption reflects the widening chasm between the political class and the electorate
The corruption and hypocrisy which has come to characterise politics and politicians, and in particu...
Despite its popularity, the death penalty would allow the state to kill innocent people
The University of Michigan law school and Northwestern University have just compiled a database of o...
An explosive world record attempt came under fire today as a barge carrying fireworks appeared to blow up and burst into flames.
Around 175,000 people turned up for Roar on the Shore to see 110,000 fireworks set off in under 60 seconds from the barge between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers in Dorset last night.
But instead of rockets shooting to the skies, the event was over in about six seconds as the metal barge appeared to explode, with flames spreading across the deck.
Visitors also complained about delays of up to three hours to leave the town as the roads became gridlocked.
Colleen Gallagher, a hypnotherapist from Bournemouth, was watching from the beach at Boscombe pier.
She said: "I felt so sorry for the organisers because it was obvious everything went off in one hit.
"It was a big silvery spray which lit up the beach and then there was just a big cloud of smoke and a few squiggly, short rockets that went up randomly from the fire.
"There had been such a build up, everyone held their breath with anticipation for this roar but then there was nothing.
"Never mind under 60 seconds, more like six seconds.
"It was a bit of a damp squib."
Auditors said last night that a new record had been set and it will now be verified by Guinness World Records.
The current Guinness World Record for the most fireworks set off in record time was set in 2006 with 56,645 fireworks in Plymouth.
Visitors at that event described the sky turning white as the fireworks shot into the air and lit up the night sky.
Artist Sarah Shirtcliffe, from Bournemouth, said: "I don't know what happened. I waited for this spectacular display but it made a boom noise almost like a bomb exploding and then there was nothing.
"The big explosion was very beautiful but we were expecting to see lots of wonderful fireworks in the sky for 60 seconds, one after the other."
A spokeswoman for Bournemouth Tourism said the technical experts at Fantastic Fireworks, which conducted the fireworks display, used a shorter fuse for safety reasons because of the strong winds.
"A huge explosion over a longer period of time could have blown on to shore," she said.
"It went off quicker than they thought it would due to the wind and weather conditions.
"It didn't meet everybody's expectations which is unfortunate but we did break the record which is absolutely fantastic.
"It's not something you can practise, there's an element of surprise involved.
"We have never seen that many people along the whole of the seafront for any event over the last 15 years.
"Maybe that's why we had some disappointed faces. Nobody has ever seen 110,000 fireworks set off in under 60 seconds."
Ruth Downing, 33, from Bournemouth, said: "It looked like the barge just exploded and then caught fire. I think the wind might have caused problems.
"It was very disappointing not so much a roar as a growl.
"We thought it would be rockets exploding in the sky in this amazing fireworks display, but instead if you blinked you would have missed it.
"It was just a big bang, a blinding flash and then flames.
"That was probably the most exciting bit because it looked like the barge was on fire."
A Coastguard spokesman said: "There was a fire on the barge but it was quickly extinguished. No-one was hurt and no help required.
"It was put out with a fire extinguisher. It wasn't a big fire but something caught fire."
Dorset Fire Service said its firefighters did not attend the "small fire" on board the barge.
The record attempt was set up to launch the town's second annual air festival and raise money for Help for Heroes.
Around 750,000 people are expected at the four-day air show to watch displays including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Team Guinot Wingwalkers, The Yakovlevs, The Blades, The Matadors, The Red Arrows and Black Cats Helicopter Display team.
It is the largest event of its kind in the UK, Bournemouth Tourism said.
- 1 Mark Zuckerberg saved $111m by selling Facebook shares before stock slumped
- 2 Brazil rocked by abortion for 9-year-old rape victim
- 3 Greece: Out of cash, out of hope
- 4 Society: The only way is Finland
- 5 News in pictures
- 6 Cameron knew Hunt would back BSkyB bid
- 7 Thousands of police accused of corruption – just 13 convicted
- 8 In pictures: The bewildering face of China
- 9 Catcalls, whistles, groping: the everyday picture of sexual harassment in London
- 10 Ten adverts that shocked the world
- 1 Brazil rocked by abortion for 9-year-old rape victim
- 2 Society: The only way is Finland
- 3 Northumberland bids to create one of the world's biggest dark sky preserves
- 4 Catcalls, whistles, groping: the everyday picture of sexual harassment in London
- 5 We will 'grow' all organs to order in future, says pioneering surgeon
- 6 Owen Jones: If socialists really did run the show, working people would benefit
- 7 'Hello mum, this is going to be hard for you to read ...'
- 8 Grace Dent on Television: The Exclusives, ITV2
- 9 French in uproar over oral sex anti-smoking posters
- 10 Coke reveals its secret: It may need to carry a cancer warning
Experience the Heineken Hub
Get free wi-fi and exclusive i content while you enjoy a tasty pint of Heineken at participating pubs.
Can you imagine a career in teaching?
Be inspired to teach - let real teachers show you how rewarding the job can be.
Playing a game-changing role during the Games
Cisco is providing the solutions for London 2012's complex IT needs.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
Day In a Page
Feeding a hungry world – or meddling with laws of nature?
Monkey meat that could be behind the next HIV
Catcalls, whistles, groping: just another day for a young woman
Move over Brangelina, this night belongs to Kingston Bagpuize
Pizza Pilgrims: Like mamma used to make
Gorgeous Georgian cuisine
Fury at Obama over filmmakers' access to Bin Laden kill team



Comments