Authorities investigating after explosion at Hawaii Island home leaves man dead

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Federal authorities and Hawaii Island police are investigating an explosion at a Puna home over the weekend that left a man dead.

Authorities say the man appears to have been making homemade fireworks when the explosion happened.

Police responded to the home on Ala Naulani Road in the Fern Forest subdivision about 2 a.m. Saturday.

Officers found a 35-year-old man lying on the floor with a critical wound to his abdomen. He was taken to the Hilo Medical Center and later flown to the Queen’s Medical Center, where he later died.

The man’s wife and three children were asleep at the home when the explosion happened. There were no other injuries.

County and federal authorities trained in hazardous explosive materials responded to the home and found materials used to construct homemade fireworks along with several firearms and hundreds of marijuana plants.

Federal authorities are now taking the lead in the ongoing investigation.

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