Amok Run in Graz, Moose "Emil" and FMD: The Chronicle Headlines in the Year 2025

The Chronicle Year 2025 is overshadowed by a shooting spree at a Graz high school by a former student, resulting in a total of eleven deaths. A tightening of gun laws is the consequence. Violence and abuse allegations in domestic facilities of SOS Children's Villages, which date back further and reach up to the former top of the organization, also cause horror. In the spring, a series of ATM bombings attracts attention, and in the summer, it is elk "Emil".

Graz Shooting Spree

A former student carries out a shooting spree on June 10, 2025, at the BORG Dreierschützengasse in Graz, shooting nine students aged 14 to 17 and a teacher. The shooter commits suicide, and his motive remains unclear. A three-day national mourning is declared across the country. The 21-year-old perpetrator legally possessed the weapons - despite having been deemed unfit for military service for psychological reasons during the military assessment. However, this data could not be automatically forwarded to the district administrative authority that issued the gun ownership card.

Gun Law Tightened

As a result of the Graz shooting spree, the National Council tightens the domestic gun laws in the fall. For category B weapons (such as pistols and revolvers), the minimum age for purchase is raised from 21 to 25 years, and for category C (e.g., shotguns and rifles) from 18 to 21 years. The so-called "cooling-off period" for acquiring a firearm is extended from three working days to four weeks. Clinical-psychological assessments are made mandatory even after a five-year trial period. The data exchange between authorities is improved by involving the military assessment commission.

Knife Attack in Villach

In an Islamist-motivated terrorist attack in Villach on February 15, a 14-year-old is killed. The perpetrator, a 23-year-old Syrian, injures other people, some seriously, in the knife attack. He is ultimately stopped by a compatriot who knocks him down with his car.

SOS Children's Village Scandal

On September 16, serious allegations against educators at the SOS Children's Village Moosburg in Carinthia from earlier years become known. Shortly thereafter, accusations against other children's villages come to light. Affected are facilities in Imst, Seekirchen, Altmünster, Stübing, and Vienna. It involves humiliation, violence, and abuse. There are also abuse allegations against the organization's founder Hermann Gmeiner, and the long-time president Helmut Kutin is said to have knowingly allowed a pedophile major donor access to children. Gmeiner and Kutin have already passed away. SOS Children's Village Austria is suspended by the umbrella organization SOS Children's Village International. An independent reform commission led by Irmgard Griss is tasked with thoroughly reviewing the past.

Lobau Tunnel to Proceed

The Lobau Tunnel, as a gap closure of the Vienna Outer Ring Expressway (S1), is now set to be built. This is announced by Transport Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ) on September 25. His predecessor Leonore Gewessler (Greens) had removed the project from Asfinag's construction program. The planned eastern bypass of Vienna runs through or under the Donau-Auen National Park. The construction start of the first of two sections is planned for spring 2026.

ATM Explosions

A series of ATM explosions in Austria continues beyond the turn of the year. From January to early March, there have already been 14 completed and attempted acts, more than in the entire previous year. A "SOKO ATM" task force based at the Federal Criminal Police Office is deployed in response. On April 6, an ATM bomber is shot and apprehended by the police shortly after the act in Vienna. On July 13, the Federal Criminal Police Office announces the arrest of 14 suspects. Enhanced security measures at ATMs are also showing effect, and the cases are declining.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Several cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle in Hungary and Slovakia cause a stir in Austria from March to May. In eastern Austria, events are initially canceled, and petting zoos are temporarily closed. There is an import ban on live cloven-hoofed animals and fresh meat products from Hungary and Slovakia. There are controls and traffic jams at the Burgenland borders. The military decontaminates incoming vehicles and supports efforts in Slovakia as part of a disaster relief operation to combat the spread of the disease. No FMD cases occur in Austria.

Migration of Moose "Emil"

From mid-August to mid-September, a moose wandering through Lower and Upper Austria attracts attention. The animal, named "Emil," likely migrated from Poland via the Czech Republic and, among other things, disrupts the Westbahn railway line. Because it is about to jump over the fence towards the West Autobahn (A1) near Sattledt (Wels-Land district) on September 22, it is sedated and released in the Czech Bohemian Forest, where there is a moose population.

Extreme Athlete Baumgartner Accident

The Salzburg extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner dies at the age of 56 in a crash with a motor paraglider in Italy (July 17). The death is attributed to human error, the prosecutor's office in Fermo explains in October. No technical defects in the equipment are found. Baumgartner became known as a BASE jumper and gained international fame through a parachute jump from the stratosphere at over 36 kilometers altitude.

Climate Crisis

2025 could become one of the three hottest years recorded so far, the EU climate change service Copernicus announces on November 7. In the EU, wildfires destroy more than one million hectares of land this year - more than ever before since records began in 2006. Nevertheless, on November 5, the EU environment ministers only decide on a weakened climate target for 2040, and the UN Climate Conference COP30 in Belem, Brazil, ends on November 22 with weak compromises after tough negotiations. For example, the final text lacks a binding commitment to move away from oil, coal, and gas, which the EU had previously demanded vehemently.

Swiss Village Buried

In Switzerland, on May 28, a massive glacier collapse buries the already evacuated mountain village of Blatten in the Lötschental of the canton of Valais. Almost 90 percent of the village is buried under a several-meter-high mud and debris avalanche. A 64-year-old local resident loses his life. Another approximately 300 residents had previously brought themselves to safety. Researchers suspect a connection between climate change and the glacier collapse.

Earthquake with Thousands Dead

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 in Southeast Asia claims around 4,500 lives in Myanmar on March 28. The quake is also strongly felt in Thailand. Videos of overflowing rooftop pools on hotel skyscrapers go around the world. In the capital Bangkok, however, only one building, a 30-story shell construction, collapses, killing 89 people, most of them construction workers.

On August 31, more than 2,200 people die in an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 in eastern Afghanistan. Tens of thousands are left homeless.

Over 100 Dead in Texas Flood

In a flood disaster in Texas, at least 135 people lose their lives. After heavy rainfall, the water level of the Guadalupe River rises meters high on July 4. In the popular holiday region, many people camp on the riverbank during the extended weekend of the US national holiday. Among the victims are numerous children in summer camps. They are caught by surprise by the floodwaters while sleeping.

Deadly Wildfires in L.A.

Due to two devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in the US state of California, the fire department is on duty for weeks from the beginning of the year. 31 people die in the so-called Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, and more than 16,000 buildings are destroyed. A good nine months later, a man is arrested on suspicion of arson. The 29-year-old is said to have deliberately started the first fire on New Year's Day.

Fire Disasters in Turkey and North Macedonia

In a Turkish ski resort in the northwestern province of Bolu, 78 people die in a hotel fire on January 21. Nine months later, harsh sentences are imposed on eleven defendants. The hotel owner, his family, the deputy mayor of the Bolu municipality, and other individuals receive multiple life sentences.

In a major fire caused by pyrotechnics in a nightclub in North Macedonia, 62 people die on the night of March 16, and more than 200 others are injured. Many of the victims die in the crush as concertgoers panic and rush to the exit.

Severe Aviation Accidents

In one of the world's worst aviation disasters in recent years, 241 people on board an Air India plane and 19 others on the ground are killed on June 12 in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The plane crashes into a residential area immediately after takeoff. Only one passenger survives the crash. Investigations reveal that the control switches for the fuel supply to both engines were turned off shortly before the crash, interrupting the fuel supply. The background is unclear.

At the end of January (29th), a passenger plane from American Airlines collides with a military helicopter during its landing approach at Reagan Airport in the US capital, Washington. The helicopter is on a training flight. Both aircraft crash into the Potomac River. The 64 passengers on the plane and the three-member crew of the helicopter lose their lives. The cause is presumably incorrect altitude readings on the helicopter's instruments.

Power Outage on the Iberian Peninsula

On April 28th, power goes out for several hours across Spain and Portugal. The outage results in massive chaos with severe traffic problems and the failure of telecommunications systems. Southwest France and Morocco are also briefly affected. The trigger for the blackout on the Iberian Peninsula is unprecedented "avalanche-like overvoltages" in the power grid, the cause of which is unclear. Additionally, according to the government, the Spanish power grid operator REE had too few power plants online to compensate for the voltage fluctuations.

Funicular Accident in Lisbon

In the accident involving the Gloria funicular in the Portuguese capital Lisbon on September 3rd, 16 people are killed and 21 are injured, some seriously. The connecting cable between the two cars of the funicular does not meet standards and comes loose. One car derails in a curve and crashes into a house.

Allegations Against "Diddy" and Andrew

US rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs is found partially guilty in New York (2.7.). The prosecution had accused Combs of sexually abusing women and men and coercing them with threats and violence to participate in drug and sex parties. However, the jury finds him guilty only in connection with prostitution - the least serious charge. On October 4th, a sentence of four years and two months in prison is announced. Combs announces an appeal.

The British Prince Andrew, who has fallen deeply in the affair involving sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, announces on October 17th that he is giving up his remaining royal titles and duties. The 65-year-old is now known only as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He is accused of forcing Virginia Giuffre, Epstein's most well-known victim, into sex, which he denies.

Bezos Wedding in Venice

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, and former TV presenter Lauren Sánchez exchange vows on June 27th in Venice. The wedding, attended by many prominent guests, takes place strictly shielded from the public on the island of San Giorgio, which is directly opposite St. Mark's Square. Even beforehand, there are protests against the mega-celebration in the Italian lagoon city.

(APA/Red)

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