Japan fireworks festival explosion death toll reaches three

A 35-year-old man died on Monday from severe injuries following explosions at a summer fireworks festival last Thursday near Kyoto, raising the death toll to three.

Earlier on Monday, a 10-year-old receiving medical treatment was also confirmed to have died.

The childhad gone to the festival with an acquaintance of his grandparents, who died Saturday after also suffering major burns.

In addition to the three fatalities, 57 people were injured in the explosion that occured among food stalls and just before the start of the annual fireworks display in the city of Fukuchiyama in Kyoto Prefecture.

Local press added say a 13-year-old boy and eight-year-old girl were still in serious condition in hospital.

Police suspect that the explosion occurred when a vendor at one of some 350 stalls at the site opened the cap of a petrol container to refill an electric generator.

The highly pressurised petrol was sprayed over a wide area, causing gas cylinders to explode as three of the stalls went up in flames.

The vendor is expected to be investigated on charges of professional negligence when he recovers from severe burns he also suffered in the accident.

KYODO/AFP report that the festival is held annually in Fukuchiyama city, 70 kilometres north of the ancient capital of Kyoto, and attracts upwards of 100,000 people.