Firework costs teen fingers

A teenager lost four fingers and a thumb last night when fireworks went off in his hand.

The Whangarei 17-year-old had tied a bunch of fireworks together in a clump and set them off while holding them.

St John ambulance executive Charlie Bougher said the incident happened about 9pm at a house on Corks Rd in the Whangarei suburb of Tikipunga.

The Northland Electricity rescue helicopter flew the teenager to Auckland last night for surgery. He was in a serious condition. It was not clear whether he would lose his whole hand.