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A 12-year-old boy has been killed and another seriously injured in a fireworks accident in the Netherlands, it was announced today by police, despite a country-wide ban on the throwing of fireworks on New Year's Day due to the pandemic.
Children were watching an adult throwing fireworks with the help of an improvised device when the incident occurred, 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 the occasion of New Year's Day, the Dutch set off traditional fireworks in the streets and gardens, a popular practice that causes many people to be injured.
The government has banned fireworks for the second year in a row to avoid putting a strain on hospitals, which are already full due to the pandemic.
\NIn 2019, more than 1300 people had to receive care for injuries caused by fireworks. After the ban on fireworks in 2020, that number dropped by 70%.
Source: APE-MPA
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