Surgeon describes ‘pure chaos’ working on survivors of NYE fireworks explosion that killed 4

HONOLULU (KHNL/Gray News) - Doctors in Hawaii are sharing more details when it comes to the number of people who were rushed to the hospital after a New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion.

A trauma surgeon at Queen’s Medical Center said the hospital saw 20 to 25 patients in 12 hours, many in critical condition, which is roughly three times the number they typically see.

“My people and the hospital came together. It was pure chaos and people were doing things that weren’t part of their job descriptions just to help,” trauma surgeon Malia Eischen said.

One of those patients that night was Robert Ishii, according to a GoFundMe.

Friends and family said he sustained severe burns all over his body and faces a long and painful recovery.

Kevin Vallesteros was another person injured that evening. A GoFundMe started by his loved ones said he suffered critical injuries.

Four people died, including a 3-year-old boy in the blast.

“It’s just such a tragedy. So many people that you are close with to all be injured at the same time, it’s devastating,” Eischen said. “Whenever we have to talk to families about losing loved ones, it breaks our heart.”

Authorities said a fireworks “cake” that had about 50 illegal aerial rockets in it tipped over that evening in a Honolulu neighborhood.

Those cake rockets then fired into a nearby carport and set off more fireworks.

More than 20 people were transported to area hospitals in critical to serious condition, Honolulu first responders said after the explosion.

“The majority of patients are with us in our burn unit. The most critical and most severe are still with us right now,” Dr. David Cho, a plastic surgeon with Straub Benioff Medical Center’s Burn Care Unit, said.

Six others with severe burn injuries were also transported by the U.S. military to the mainland for further treatment.

A memorial of flowers has since been growing at the scene of the deadly explosion in the Aliamanu neighborhood.