“Mission accomplished,” Dr. Kevin Foster said Thursday as five patients injured in the New Year’s Aliamanu fireworks explosion have been discharged from acute care.

The director of Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center – Valleywise Health gave an update from Phoenix, where the patients were undergoing specialized burn treatments following the explosion.

Six survivors were initially flown to Arizona via military medical transport.

One patient, Kevin Vallesteros, 29, died on Jan. 28.

On Friday, Foster said the final two patients were discharged from acute care Monday and are now in inpatient rehab. The other three had been previously discharged and are currently in outpatient therapy.

“They’re all doing very well physically, emotionally, and psychologically,” Foster said. “Obviously this was a lot to overcome, so they have got some work to do there.”

All are planning to return to Hawaii over the next several weeks and months, Foster said.

Foster said the patients all have fairly substantial scars and some physical limitations and disabilities, and still have a long road.

“That therapy process, physical therapy, occupational therapy, that sometimes takes months or even years,” Foster said. “Then as the scars mature and as we realize that some of these scars need to be fixed, most of them, if not all of them, will have to undergo various reconstructive surgeries over the next year or two or three.

“Most of the time people get through their acute care and the first part of rehab and getting back home without too much trouble,” Foster said. “It’s only then, really out in the world again, that some of the emotional problems and psychological problems start to set in months or even years after the original injury.”

The massive New Year’s explosion, caused by what officials confirmed were illegal fireworks, initially killed three people and sent more than 20 to the hospital in critical and serious condition.

Two women, Carmelita Benigno, 61, and Nelie Ibarra, 58, were pronounced dead at the scene. Jennifer Van, 23, died hours later from her injuries.

The fourth victim, 3-year-old Cassius Ramos-Benigno, died on Jan. 6.

Vallesteros was the fifth death, and a 30-year-old woman, who has not been identified, died on Feb. 5 at a local hospital, bringing the death toll to six.

Honolulu police have arrested at least 11 suspects in connection with the investigation, and recovered approximately 500 pounds of unused illegal fireworks from the carport and from vehicles belonging to individuals at the gathering.