A fireworks accident east of Columbia has left two boys with badly burned hands. Officials report the boys’ hands appeared to be missing portions of flesh, including fingers. The 14- and 11-year-old were taken to University Hospital.

Sergeant David Alexander of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department says the explosion happened Friday night while the victims apparently were attempting to stuff a large firework into a nearby pipe. He says one of the boys was holding the device while the other attempted to light it. The short fuse burned faster than expected and exploded.