New Year's Eve was relatively calm in our German neighbors Baden-Württemberg. Firefighters carried out around fifty outings in Freiburg im Breisgau, but they were not attacked, reports the German press. However, a clash was reported in Kehl, on the other side of the Rhine, opposite Strasbourg, where police officers were targeted by fireworks.
“Considerable” damage
Some fires have been reported, reports the German press, in Offenburg and Lahr. The largest disaster took place in Achern, in the Mösbach district, according to the DPA news agency. A fire broke out in a warehouse and an apartment building. More than 120 firefighters were mobilized to put out the flames. Five residents of the building had to be relocated, but there were no injuries. According to the German press, the damage is considerable. The warehouse, which housed medical equipment, was in danger of collapsing. An investigation was opened to find out the reasons for this fire, and in particular to find out if it was caused by a firecracker.
Five deaths across the country due to firecrackers
Elsewhere in Germany, firecrackers and fireworks are the cause of several tragedies. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a 24-year-old man died after a firecracker exploded. In the state of Saxony, two men who were handling fireworks were killed. A 20-year-old boy was reportedly killed when a homemade firecracker exploded in Hamburg. In total, firecrackers and fireworks are said to have caused five deaths in Germany.
