New Year's Eve in Vienna: 70 injured by pyrotechnics!

New Year's Eve in Vienna: 70 injured by pyrotechnics!

During the wave of New Year's Eve celebrations in Austria, the night was not only festive, but also marked by dangerous incidents involving pyrotechnics. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner reported that over 4,600 illegal pyrotechnic items were seized during checks, after 150 pieces of banned pyrotechnics were discovered at the Floridsdorf train station in Vienna last weekend. These alarming figures show the increase in accidents resulting in injuries, which included up to 70 accidents last year. Among the injured were police officers who were on duty to ensure security courier reported.

Numerous injuries and reports

A total of 55 injuries from firecrackers were recorded, including a seriously injured 13-year-old whose finger and hands were injured by a rocket. The police faced challenges with almost 2,000 calls triggered by emergency calls about illegal pyrotechnics, property damage and physical injuries. This also included 198 reports under the Pyrotechnics Act, as well as four serious injuries in Carinthia that were caused by improper handling of fireworks, as reported by the Small newspaper reported.

The dangers of illegal pyrotechnics are significant: the explosive power can reach that of high-explosive hand grenades, which poses an acute danger to users and bystanders. It is all the more important to educate young people about the risks posed by such fireworks. Karner emphasized the need for these campaigns, especially given the high number of unreported injuries. Increased controls at the borders, especially with the Czech Republic, are planned for the coming days in order to counteract further illegal imports.