PHNOM PENH, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were injured at a popular beach in Cambodia's Kep province after fireworks, which were prepared to welcome the New Year, accidentally caught fire and exploded, the National Police website reported Monday.

The fireworks began exploding at random at 11:00 p.m. (local time) on Sunday at the Kep beach where about 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists gathered for the New Year countdown, the website said.

"Eight people including three females sustained light burns in the incident," the website said, adding that the victims had been rushed to the Kep Provincial Hospital for treatment and all had recovered and left for their respective accommodations.

According to the website, police had used four fire-trucks to put out the blaze in two hours.

A shocking footage taken by a local media showed the fireworks fired out at random, as the crowd screamed terribly and ran for safety.