A man in San Jose was involved in a fireworks accident which caused the amputation of his right hand and the loss of three fingers on his left hand.
According to NBC Bay Area, the accident happened Friday night while Alazar Ortiz was celebrating the holiday and handling professional grade fireworks which prematurely exploded in his hands.
Doctors had to amputate the 40-year-old's entire right hand, but managed to save two fingers on his left.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the explosives Ortiz was using were illegally purchased.
In San Jose it is illegal for residents to buy, sell, possess or use fireworks and police are now investigating the store where the devices were sold.
"So what we’re trying to do is to get those fireworks out of the streets and especially from that store," Ortiz's nephew said. "For $50, he blows his two hands."
Ortiz’s family hopes that what happened will raise awareness about the dangers of working with fireworks and that people will learn to leave the job to the professionals.
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