BEXLEY, Miss. — A Mississippi man died on Thursday after a homemade explosive device detonated in the yard at his residence, authorities said.

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According to a news release from the George County Sheriff’s Office, the 27-year-old man was discovered at about 5:30 p.m. CDT with “significant wounds” from an explosive device in the yard of a home in the southeastern Mississippi community of Bexley. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.

Further investigation of the area led deputies to paraphernalia associated with the making of homemade explosive devices, WLOX-TV reported.

The case is being investigated by the sheriff’s office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), WALA-TV reported. The Biloxi Police Department’s bomb squad helped clear the scene, according to the television station.

The name of the man killed by the explosives has not been released.

According to the news release, George County Sheriff Keith Havard “would like to remind everyone of the dangers of mishandling fireworks, gunpowder, and other explosive or flammable substances.”

“Always use safe handling practices when working with or around these substances, and never leave them within reach of children,” the sheriff said.

The investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said.

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