A 12-year-old boy was killed and another seriously injured in a fireworks accident in the Netherlands, police said today, despite a nationwide ban on throwing fireworks on New Year’s Eve due to the pandemic.
The children were watching an adult throw fireworks with the help of an improvised explosive device when the incident took place in Haaksbergen, in the eastern part of the country, near the German border.
“A 12-year-old boy was killed… Another boy was taken to hospital,” police wrote in a Twitter message.
“The children had nothing to do with the incident,” it added.
Police said they had arrested a man and launched an investigation.
On New Year’s Eve, the Dutch throw traditional fireworks in the streets and gardens, a popular practice that injures many people.
For the second year in a row, the government banned fireworks in order to avoid the burden on hospitals, which have already been filled due to the pandemic.
In 2019, more than 1,300 people had to be cared for by fireworks injuries. Following the ban on fireworks in 2020, that number has dropped by 70%.
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