New Year's Eve in Lower Austria Resulted in Seven Injuries Due to Firecrackers or Fireworks

In Lower Austria, seven people were injured by firecrackers or fireworks on New Year's Eve. As the emergency call center further reported in a press release, the number of alerts slightly decreased from 295 to 282 compared to the previous year.

In total, 15 cases of property damage and eleven fires related to pyrotechnic items were initially reported in Lower Austria. Within 24 hours, there were 201 reports and 14 administrative penalties under the Pyrotechnics Act. At 17 seizures, 251 pyro items were temporarily confiscated, the Lower Austria State Police Directorate reported on New Year's Day in a press release.

Lower Austria: Seven Injured by Firecrackers or Fireworks

Specifically, a 40-year-old man was injured who had ignited a firework battery in the municipality of Schrattenbach in the Neunkirchen district. In Artstetten (Melk district), a 17-year-old used an apparently damaged rocket that then exploded too early. The consequences were a severe hand injury as well as injuries to the face and upper body. Another 17-year-old, who had ignited several fireworks in Opponitz (Amstetten district), suffered an eye injury from flying sparks.

A 19-year-old who is believed to have fired pyro items at a house in Weitersfeld (Horn district) will be reported. In Lower Austria, garbage containers were repeatedly set on fire by discarded and glowing firework batteries. The helpers also had to move out in Weigelsdorf in the municipality of Ebreichsdorf (Baden district). Fireworks are believed to have caused a fire in the garbage room of a residential complex that was evacuated as a precaution, the district command reported in a press release. Meanwhile, a person suffered minor injuries in a fire in a single-family house in the Bruck a. d. Leitha district.

Nearly 300 Emergency Calls Received

According to the emergency call center, the seven injuries caused by firecrackers or fireworks represented a decrease compared to the turn of the year to 2024, when eight people had suffered injuries. "Our staff handled 634 calls, of which nearly 300 were emergency calls," summarized Josef Schmoll, Managing Director of Emergency Call Lower Austria.

According to the press release, there were also 134 telephone health consultations. "The majority of all rescue team deployments were naturally due to acute illnesses, but the number of patients who had to be cared for by the rescue service after falls or excessive alcohol consumption also increased again that night," said Christian Fohringer, also Managing Director of Emergency Call Lower Austria.

(APA/Red)

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