Illegal fireworks, presumably so-called ball bombs, are rampant on New Year’s Eve Berlin Major damage was caused and numerous people were injured, some seriously. According to the fire department, numerous house facades were severely damaged in a violent detonation in the Schöneberg district and windows were broken en masse.
A Berlin spokesman said 36 apartments were uninhabitable for the time being and two people were taken to hospitals Fire department. He spoke of a “battlefield” left behind by the unapproved explosive device.
According to the fire department, a ball bomb probably also exploded in the middle of a crowd in Berlin-Tegel. According to the spokesman, eight people were injured, including two with life-threatening injuries. A small child was among the two seriously injured.
According to its own information, the Berlin accident clinic treated 15 seriously injured people on Wednesday morning: five of them alone were seriously injured in their hands, face and eyes by bullet bombs. The clinic said several injured people had lost individual fingers or parts of their hands. Hearing loss and burns also need to be treated.
Dangerous amount of black powder
The so-called ball bombs often contain a dangerously large amount of explosive black powder; Large ball bombs are banned in Germany, but they are illegally imported from abroad or manufactured in-house.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior points out that users are committing a criminal offense. “Handling unauthorized fireworks is a criminal offense punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine,” the ministry writes on its website. “Knowingly endangering people or property of significant value can result in a prison sentence of up to five years.” In addition, a fine of up to 50,000 euros can be imposed.
Swiss
