Fireworks turn into a tragedy: Two young men die as Germany enters the new year
At least two people were killed and hundreds were arrested during New Year's Eve celebrations across Germany, according to media reports. Fatal fireworks incidents, widespread injuries, and attacks on police and emergency teams overshadowed the festive atmosphere.
Two deaths occurred in the city of Bielefeld located in the west of the country, where two 18-year-old young men lost their lives while handling fireworks. In other areas of Germany, a large number of people were injured, some with serious injuries, due to incidents related to fireworks.
The authorities have not yet announced the number of injuries nationwide. However, a hospital in the Marzahn area of Berlin reported receiving 25 patients, including several children, suffering from serious hand injuries, including partial or complete amputation of fingers or parts of the hand due to fireworks.
The Berlin police reported the arrest of about 400 people until the early hours of the morning, and an initial assessment indicated that at least 24 police officers were injured. Similar acts of violence were recorded in other cities, including Hamburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig, and Munich, where police officers and paramedics were attacked with fireworks and rockets.
In Leipzig, reports indicated that dozens of people attacked police forces using fireworks and bottles. Barricades were also erected, and fires were set in garbage containers. In another incident related to the celebrations, a fire broke out in a historic building in the city of Erfurt in the east of the country, spreading to two neighboring houses, likely caused by a rocket launched on New Year's Eve, with no people reported inside the building at the time of the fire.