Powerful fireworks used during New Year celebrations in Germany led to the deaths of five people and left a police officer seriously injured.
Fireworks are a popular tradition for Germans to welcome the New Year, but their intense use often results in injuries, pollution, and noise, sparking debates about banning powerful fireworks.
According to police spokesperson Florian Nath, this year’s incidents left 13 police officers injured. Despite these accidents, Berlin police reported no major violence or significant events, with around 330 individuals detained overnight.
Fatal Incidents Across the Country
- Near Paderborn in North Rhine-Westphalia, a 24-year-old man died when a pyrotechnic rocket exploded.
- In Oschatz, Saxony, a 45-year-old man lost his life after suffering severe head injuries while lighting a pyrotechnic explosive.
- In Hartha, Saxony, a 50-year-old man was killed instantly when a pipe bomb firework exploded.
- Near Hamburg, a 20-year-old man died after setting off fireworks.
- In Kremmen, near Berlin, another fatality was reported due to a firework explosion, with three others severely injured in the same incident.