Two die in New Year’s firework accidents, fire causes cinder storm | THE DAILY HERALD

Fireworks in the northern city of Groningen, where the New Year’s celebrations were also relatively quiet. (City of Groningen photo)

 

 AMSTERDAM–Four people have died during the New Year’s festivities in the Netherlands, two of whom are thought to have been killed in firework accidents.

In the eastern city of Enschede a man was killed in a “gigantic explosion,” caused by fireworks, which broke windows in nearby homes, regional newspaper Tubantia reported.

In the Frisian village of Morra, another man died in a fireworks incident. Police say they do not yet know what happened, but one eyewitness reported seeing a bright flash.

A third man was found dead at his home in Losser in Overijssel. A woman was later arrested in connection with the killing. And in Rotterdam, two men were injured in a shooting incident, one of whom died of his injuries in hospital. Police have arrested seven people in connection with that incident.

There were also stabbing incidents in Breda, Ridderkerk and Leiden, which led to several arrests.

In the seaside resort of Scheveningen, near The Hague, the traditional New Year’s beach fire had to be put out by the fire brigade after huge clouds of cinders were blown across the town and nearby dune area, sparking many small fires. Several buildings had to be kept permanently wet to head off the risk of fire.

Every year, a group of people in Scheveningen compete with the nearby Hague district of Duindorp to build the highest fire out of old pallets and other wood. This year’s fire was set to be 48 metres high and that is “too high,” one of the builders told De Telegraaf newspaper.

In total, the Dutch emergency services were called out more than 3,150 times between December 31, 2018, at 6:00pm, and January 1, 2019, at 2:00am.

That is almost double compared with a year ago, according to figures from alarm website Alarmeringen.nl. There were also organised firework shows in Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam, attended by tens of thousands of people. Although police, firemen and ambulance workers report a busier evening than in 2017, initial reports indicate they were less likely to have been the target of violence than in previous years.

In the southern province Limburg there were fewer incidents and arrests than during New Year’s Eve 2017, with just 19 people being picked up by police, website Nu.nl reported.

Three men, ages 23, 24 and 25 were arrested in the village of Heel following a stabbing incident. There were no reports of attacks on emergency service workers.

In the Rotterdam police district 55 people were arrested, several for throwing fireworks at the police. One police officer may have permanent hearing damage after being hit by a firework when he tried to put out a fire, Nu.nl said.

Seven people, including 3 women, ages 15, 32 and 59, were arrested following a shooting incident in Rotterdam in which two people were taken to hospital and one later died of his injuries. The victim is local rapper Feis, age 32.

Police officers were also attacked with fireworks in The Hague and 19 people were arrested after a group of youngsters were caught destroying security cameras. All have since been released.

Police also arrested a 41-year-old German national in The Hague for firing a gas pistol into the air.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84142-two-die-in-new-year-s-firework-accidents-fire-causes-cinder-storm

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