On New Year’s Day, five people lost their lives in Germany due to New Year’s fireworks celebrations. Many firefighters, paramedics, and police officers also suffered injuries.
Despite the ban on civilian use of fireworks in Germany, CNN reported that the deeply rooted tradition of using fireworks in New Year’s celebrations remains throughout the country.
CNN further noted that thousands of fireworks are set off during New Year’s events annually.
Local broadcaster MDR reported that two people lost their lives in the eastern state of Saxony, including a 45-year-old man who died while handling a device known as a “firework bomb.”
The detonated firework bomb was a large, professional-grade explosive containing propellant and a battery.
The situation escalated from the Tuesday night to the early hours of January 1, as some participants deliberately aimed fireworks at police officers, resulting in multiple injuries.
On Tuesday, firefighters in Berlin’s capital, Berlin, responded to 1,892 firework-related incidents, an increase of 294 from the previous year. Approximately 1,500 emergency personnel, including firefighters, paramedics, and police officers, were on standby. At least 13 incidents of firework attacks against Berlin’s emergency responders were reported.
Berlin police stated that 330 individuals were taken into custody. They also reported that one officer sustained severe injuries from an illegal fireworks attack and is currently undergoing surgery. Tragically, this officer may need to undergo a leg amputation.
Florian Nath, a spokesperson for the Berlin police, described how a crowd surrounded and attacked officers with fireworks.
In Munich, fireworks ignited a major fire on an apartment’s first-floor balcony, which spread to the second floor.
The Munich fire department characterized this year’s firework incidents as particularly severe, reporting that three children aged 2, 11, and 14 suffered serious injuries from firework accidents.
According to the fire department, the 2-year-old and 11-year-old children sustained burns on their hands, necks, and faces, while the 14-year-old boy lost part of his hand in the incident.
