UK teenagers suffer life-changing injuries from firework explosions

Two separate incidents involving fireworks have resulted in severe, permanent injuries for teenagers in the United Kingdom.

In Hartlepool, 17-year-old Aleks Stasiukiewicz lost his left eye and part of his eyelid after an unexploded firework detonated while he was inspecting it. The accident occurred in November 2024 during a Bonfire Night celebration. Following surgery at James Cook University Hospital, he received a ball-shaped prosthesis to replicate eye movement.

In Paisley, Riley Luke suffered life-changing injuries in November 2022 when a lit firework stuck to his hand and exploded. The 12-year-old lost four fingers and part of his palm. After undergoing 14 hours of surgery and spending time in an induced coma, he has had to relearn daily tasks, such as writing and fastening buttons, using his left hand. He is now urging others to exercise caution with pyrotechnics.