Five dead, several injured in Germany’s New Year fireworks accidents

No fewer than five people have lost their lives with several others sustaining injuries across Germany in accidents linked to the powerful fireworks traditionally used to mark the New Year.

According to a preliminary police count, among those injured was a police officer who remains in a serious condition.

The annual celebration, characterised by an intense use of fireworks, has reignited debates over banning the most powerful devices due to their role in causing injuries, pollution, and excessive noise. 

This year’s incidents saw 13 law enforcement officers injured nationwide, one of them seriously, as confirmed by police spokesperson Florian Nath.

In Berlin, where 330 people were detained overnight, authorities noted that “there were no major violence or incidents” compared to previous years.

Many of the fatalities involved the improper or illegal use of fireworks. Near Paderborn in North Rhine-Westphalia, a 24-year-old man died after detonating a pyrotechnic rocket believed to be homemade.

In Saxony, two men succumbed to fatal injuries: a 45-year-old in Oschatz after igniting an F4 category firework, which requires a special permit, and a 50-year-old in Hartha who attempted to detonate a pyrotechnic pipe bomb.

Northern Germany also reported a fatality, with a 20-year-old man losing his life while lighting a firework near Hamburg. Meanwhile, in Kremen, near Berlin, a man died due to what police described as “inappropriate manipulation” of pyrotechnics. Three others in the same region suffered serious injuries in similar accidents.

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