New Year’s Eve was turbulent in Germany. First near Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the northwest of the country, a 24-year-old young man died by detonating a pyrotechnic rocket, according to local police, who believe that the victim had him -even manufactured the machine.
In Oschatz in Saxony, in the east of the country, a 45-year-old man died of serious head injuries when he set fire to a “pyrotechnic bomb”. According to the police, it was a powerful category F4 firework, the acquisition of which requires special authorization.
In the same region of Saxony, a 50-year-old man died in the town of Hartha while trying to detonate a pyrotechnic bomb in a pipe. The victim also suffered serious head injuries and died at the scene, according to a police spokesperson.
Near Hamburg, in the north, a 20-year-old young man died while lighting a pyrotechnic device.
Fireworks widely used in Germany
Finally, in Kremen in the Brandenburg region, which surrounds Berlin, a fifth man died during the “ignition of pyrotechnic devices” with “inappropriate handling”, said a spokesperson for the local police. In this region three other men were seriously injured in similar circumstances.
The Germans traditionally celebrate the New Year with a particularly intense use of fireworks, which regularly fuels a debate on the banning of the most powerful pyrotechnic devices, due to a high number of deaths and injuries each year, but also the pollution and noise pollution they cause.
