© NBC Los AngelesEmergency crews treat dozens of injured people after a "fireworks mishap" at a Simi Valley park on July 4, 2013.
Dozens of Fourth of July celebrants were injured Thursday night in a "fireworks mishap" at a Simi Valley, Calif., park, authorities said.
The injury count changed multiple times over the course of a quickly developing breaking news story. As of 11:30 p.m., 28 people were reported injured, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Mike Lindberry told reporters at the scene.
Of those 28 victims, 20 were transported to the hospital -- 16 suffered minor injuries, four suffered moderate to severe injuries, Lindberry said. Eight people were treated and released on scene.
Initial injury counts reported 20 people were hurt then that figure was revised to 14 before Lindberry detailed those hurt in the explosion.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 people were expected to attend the Independence Day celebration Thursday night.
Witnesses said the professional fireworks show lasted just a few minutes before the huge explosion went off.
"We saw about three minutes of the show. There was some that went up in the area and everything just kind of scattered outwards and then everybody just started running," a witness told NBC4.
"Everything exploded and parts came flying everywhere," another witness told NBC4. "People were running everywhere. So, it was pretty scary."
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