American family host gender-reveal party with explosives

The family thought the quarry would be the safest spot to blow up the explosives for the gender-reveal party. Photo / 123RF

One New Hampshire family's gender reveal party was such a blast that it rattled towns, set off reports of an earthquake, and could be heard from across the state line, police said.

Police in Kingston, a town not far from the Massachusetts border, received reports of a loud explosion on Tuesday evening (local time). They responded to Torromeo quarry where they found people who acknowledged holding a gender-reveal party with explosives.

The explosive was Tannerite — 36kg of it, police said.

The family thought the quarry would be the safest spot to blow up the explosive, which is typically sold over the counter as a target for firearms practice, police said.

Nearby residents said the blast rocked their homes. Some reported property damage, NBC 10 Boston reported.

"We heard this god-awful blast," Sara Taglieri, who lives in a home that abuts the quarry, told the television station. "It knocked pictures off our walls ... I'm all up for silliness and whatnot, but that was extreme."

Taglieri's husband, Matt, told the TV station that neighbours reported cracks in the foundation of their homes from the explosion. No injuries were reported, police said.

The person who purchased and detonated the explosives has turned himself in to police. He was not identified. Police said they are investigating and they will make a decision on charges.

A history of mishaps

In late 2019, a gender-reveal party in Texas saw a cropdusting plane being used to dump about 1300 litres of pink water over a field. However it ended in disaster after the plane crashed to the ground, flipping on its back.

In Iowa, a woman died after a gender-reveal party went wrong when the family included a homemade explosive device in the festivities. A piece of metal flew toward family members standing 14m away, killing a partygoer.

And in another incident in 2019, a partygoer accidentally started a 19,000ha wildfire in southern Arizona when he shot a target filled with an explosive powder.