Woman, child injured by fireworks in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) - A 26-year-old woman and a 6-year-old child have been seriously injured by exploding fireworks in Chicago amid a sharp rise in complaints about the pyrotechnic devices, according to fire department officials.

WLS-TV reported Friday that the incident occurred the day before on Chicago's South Side. Both the woman and the child were taken to a nearby hospital Friday night and were listed in serious condition, the report said. Other details weren't immediately available.

In a previous report, the TV station cited Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications as saying there have been around 7,000 calls complaining about fireworks in the city from Jan. 1 to the end of June. During the same period last year, there were only around 850 such complaints.

Some Illinois residents travel across the border to buy fireworks in neighboring states where they are legal.