Police Detail Clandestine Fireworks Cache After São Paulo House Blast, 1,230 Rockets Seized

Overview

• Military Police and the GATE bomb squad identified the victim as Adir Mariano, 46, who died in the Nov. 13 Tatuapé explosion and had prior probes for releasing sky lanterns.
• Investigators say evidence indicates on-site production of gunpowder and explosive devices, with a press, sieve, scale and other tooling recovered from the residence.
• Seized materials include 1,230 rockets, a device holding nearly 1 kilogram of powder, 15 small and one large inch bombs, 13 propellant charges, seven stick rockets, about 20 kg of sulfur, caustic soda and bottles with oil.
• Body-worn police camera video shows extensive destruction and captures warnings about many unexploded items remaining across the property and in a parked vehicle.
• Authorities report 10 people injured in addition to the fatality, five displaced families set for emergency municipal aid, and 13 nearby properties still interdicted pending safety measures, as the case advances under counts of explosion, environmental crime and bodily injury.