Five people died in a night of fireworks chaos in Germany

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Five people inside Germany were killed in fireworks-related accidents last night as the country started the new year with traditional pyrotechnic celebrations.

The dead include a 24-year-old man near Paderborn in North Rhine-Westphalia who died after the premature explosion of homemade fireworks.

Police believe he constructed the pyrotechnic rocket himself, highlighting ongoing concerns about the extreme dangers of unregulated or improvised fireworks.

The deaths followed a desperate appeal by both German police and the medical community for politicians to ban Germany’s tradition of private employment throughout the country. randomly lighting fireworks in the middle of the streets, in everything from city centers to quiet suburban streets.

“If politicians continue to do nothing, they will hurt thousands of people New Year’s Eve fireworks every year, and doctors, rescuers and law enforcement officers are threatened with firecrackers or physical attacks,” said Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association.

A German sign called for a ban on fireworks — A German tradition in which people randomly set off fireworks in the middle of the street has led to calls for a ban on private fireworks – Avalon / Marc John

He demanded stricter regulations or bans on the use of private fireworks, a move supported by the police union, which also argued for a nationwide ban.

“Nobody wants to deprive people of the opportunity to celebrate New Year’s Eve grandly,” Reinhardt added, proposing alternatives in the form of centrally organized fireworks displays or drone and laser shows.

However, he warned that careless and alcohol-fueled use of firecrackers and rockets leads to serious injuries and overcrowding of hospital emergency rooms.

“Eye and ear injuries are especially common on New Year’s Eve. “What is particularly disturbing is that many children and young people are victims.”

Fireworks detritus — The aftermath of another New Year’s Eve, during which many people set off fireworks across Germany – AFP/Tobaias Schwarz

Meanwhile, Simone Borris, mayor of Magdeburg, a city that recently suffered a terrorist attack at a Christmas market, urged citizens to refrain from lighting fireworks this year. “There is no reason to celebrate in the state capital and therefore no reason for New Year’s Eve fireworks,” she said.

Despite growing calls for regulation, the tradition remains deeply rooted in German culture. However, rising annual numbers of injuries and deaths have reignited public debate about the need for more stringent controls.

Even before New Year’s Eve, rescuers in Berlin were shot at with fireworks, and during the night the police arrested over 50 people in connection with the illegal use of fireworks, and several pieces of blank weapons and pyrotechnic materials were also seized.

Home Secretary Iris Spranger announced that: “Anyone who attacks emergency services or commits crimes on New Year’s Eve will most likely spend New Year’s Day in police custody.”

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