7 injured in explosion at Hawaii resort

KAANAPALI, Hawaii (KHON) – Seven people were injured, some critically, after an explosion at a Hawaii beachside resort Thursday evening.

The Maui Fire Department and Maui Police Department responded to the incident around 6:15 p.m. at a condominium on Kaanapali Beach in west Maui.

Officials confirmed the incident happened near the pool area of The Whalers condominium.

"Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion may have involved liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which supplies common area BBQs," MPD said. "Witness statements indicate a possible grill malfunction before the incident."

Paramedics with Maui Emergency Medical Services cared for the victims before transporting them to local hospitals.

Maui police said seven people between the ages of 18 and 74 were injured, including three in critical condition, and one was transported via medevac to Maui Memorial Medical Center's emergency room.

One witness who was more than two buildings away said it sounded like a bomb went off.

"So we're sitting having dinner … and suddenly we heard a loud boom and kind of almost a shake too, and we thought maybe it was an earthquake. The restaurant got quiet, people looking around," said Lyndsay Bourcellot, a Maui visitor.

Video of the area shows an explosion happening outside near a swimming pool. Debris was also seen scattered near the beach.

Officials said there was no additional threat, though the public was asked to avoid the area.

The official cause of the explosion was undetermined, and is under investigation.

Kaanapali Beach is in Lahaina, several miles from the historic town that was destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.