A celebratory dinner took an explosive turn after the birthday girl’s friends accidentally bought fireworks for the cake instead of candles.
Syifaa Lemaire celebrated her 23rd birthday with her friends Gabriel da Mata Gomes, Hanna Mars and Nisrine Abbouch, when the restaurant staff brought out a beautiful red velvet cake.
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Footage of the special moment shows Syifaa looking excited as Gabriel leans forward with a lighter.
But before the friends can finish the first verse of “Happy Birthday,” sparks fly through the air and Syifaa throws herself aside.
The trio had previously purchased what they thought were two candles from a local shop for £2.53.
“We bought them in a store and the lady working there told us they would be great to use on a cake,” said Gabriel from Amsterdam, Netherlands.
“They were slightly bigger than cake stars.
“We didn’t notice it for the first few seconds, but then they started running away and making a squeaking sound, like a whistle, and then we realized it was fireworks.
“The sparks started flying at us, so we dove under the table to cover ourselves.
“Everyone was in shock.
“Other customers ducked. We were so embarrassed.
“There was music beforehand and everyone was chatting.
“After that it was quiet.
“I was too ashamed to look people in the eye.”
Fortunately, no one was injured and the explosion did not damage the restaurant.
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Operational coordinator Gabriel shared the clip on TikTok where it has been viewed more than five million times and liked 900,000 times.
Gabriel added: “It’s funny now, but at the time we were all scared. We didn’t see it coming.
“We can laugh about it now because luckily no one was injured and there was no damage to the restaurant.
“There was soot from the fireworks on the table, but it was easy to wipe off.
“When we watch the video back, we laugh so much.”
Fireworks Safety Tips
HERE are some tips for using fireworks safely…
- Keep a safe distance: keep at least 10 meters away from fireworks set off from the ground and 45 meters away from fireworks set off through the air.
- Follow the rules: Only set off fireworks outdoors and follow local laws. Do not set off fireworks in public places or late at night.
- Make sure you have water on hand: Make sure you have a bucket or garden hose on hand to extinguish any fireworks that have been set off with water.
- Be sober: avoid alcohol when setting off fireworks.
