Fireworks Show Malfunction Injures 9 in Colorado

By ANDREW RUDANSKY and CASSANDRA VINOGRAD

Nine people were injured during an accident at a fireworks show in Colorado, officials said late Friday.

The town of Avon said that "two or three" fireworks shells went into the crowd due to "a malfunction" at its annual "Salute to the USA" show. The injured were treated and released for "minor abrasion burns" at the scene, the town added in a statement, praising police and medical teams for a quick response.

The accident occurred about 17 minutes into the 23-minute fireworks show, bringing it the annual event to an abrupt halt.

Jane Imber said there were "a lot of people" at the show when the shells ended up in the crowd.

"There was not a lot of room in between groups of people, so when it happened no one could really get up and run," she told NBC News. "It was so scary."