Fireworks explosion injures 50 at festival in northern Spain
An accidental fireworks explosion injured 50 people during the opening of Noáin’s patron-saint festival in Navarra on Wednesday, with three men taken to hospital and 47 people treated for minor injuries.
In 30 seconds
- The explosion occurred at about noon on 26 August during Noáin’s festival-opening ceremony.
- Three men were taken to hospital with burns and 47 people received treatment for minor injuries.
- About 50 people, including roughly a dozen children, were reportedly on the town hall balcony.
- The Guardia Civil is inspecting the scene and interviewing witnesses.
Updated 26 August 2026, 18:00 CEST — An accidental fireworks explosion injured 50 people at about 12:00 on Wednesday, 26 August, during the opening of the patron-saint festival in Noáin, south of Pamplona in ’s Navarra region. RTVE reported that three men were taken to the University Hospital of Navarra with burns, while 47 people received treatment for minor burns, ear pain and other injuries.
The explosion occurred on the crowded town hall balcony during the chupinazo, the ceremonial rocket launch marking the start of the festivities. Municipal sources told RTVE that about 50 people, including roughly a dozen children, were on the balcony. Hundreds more had gathered below in Plaza de los Fueros.
Noáin security councillor Luis Maya told Spain’s EFE news agency, in an account carried by RTVE, that the first rocket was launched before the remaining rockets ignited together while a municipal employee was holding them. Maya said investigators had not established whether an accidental movement or a push triggered the ignition. Smoke, noise and confusion followed as emergency workers treated casualties inside the town hall.
The Guardia Civil has taken charge of the investigation, according to Europa Press. Officers began inspecting the balcony and interviewing witnesses to establish the exact cause. Europa Press reported that two hospital patients remained under observation with a reserved prognosis, but authorities said nobody faced a life-threatening condition. The available reports do not identify any Belgian casualties.
The incident places attention on how pyrotechnics are stored, handled and separated from spectators during traditional public celebrations. It does not establish a wider failure across Spanish festivals: responsibility and any breach of safety procedures remain matters for the Guardia Civil inquiry. Navarra’s regional president, María Chivite, said she had contacted Noáin’s mayor and offered the regional government’s support, RTVE reported.
Where this is happening
View on map Spain →For Belgians visiting Navarra, the immediate relevance is limited to the affected locality and festival programme. Belgium’s Foreign Affairs ministry advises travellers in Spain to call the European emergency number 112 after an accident and to seek local assistance before consular support. The next confirmed developments are expected from the police investigation, hospital updates and Noáin council decisions on the remaining festivities.
What to do
Belgium-based readers currently in or travelling to Navarra should check Noáin municipal announcements before attending the remaining festival events, particularly for cancellations, access restrictions or revised pyrotechnic arrangements. Anyone who witnessed the explosion should follow local authorities’ instructions and retain relevant photographs or video for investigators. Travellers injured or otherwise affected should contact their insurer promptly, keep medical and transport receipts, and consult Belgian Foreign Affairs’ practical information for Spain if consular help is needed. The report identifies no continuing threat and says none of the injured faced an immediate threat to life.
Impact
Regional — The direct impact is concentrated in Noáin and Navarra: local health services treated the injured, the regional hospital received three patients and the municipality faces decisions about the rest of its festival.
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Voices & reactions
What the main actors are doing
Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotationsNoáin municipal account
Municipal security councillor Luis Maya described an apparent chain ignition after the first rocket was launched and said an accidental movement or push had not been ruled out. This remains a witness-based account rather than a final determination.
Guardia Civil investigation
The Guardia Civil has not adopted a definitive explanation. Its officers are inspecting the balcony and taking witness statements to establish how the pyrotechnic material ignited and whether handling or safety arrangements contributed.
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