A 14-year-old girl is in a serious condition at Cork University Hospital after a firework she had been playing with exploded.
The girl is undergoing emergency surgery and is understood to have lost a number of fingers on one of her hands as well as suffering serious facial injuries.
The incident happened at around 2.30pm this afternoon at Barrack Street close to Cork city centre.
The girl was with a group of friends when the firework exploded.
She was given first-aid treatment by staff members at a nearby pub before emergency services arrived at the scene.
A garda investigation is now under way and the scene has been sealed off for a technical examination.
