A series of fireworks-related mishaps have ruined New Year's Eve celebrations in Germany, leaving five people dead and many emergency personnel injured. Even though there have been calls for a nationwide ban on private fireworks, they remain a big part of New Year’s celebrations in the country, with thousands of fireworks being set off on city streets every year.

According to local public radio MDR, two persons in the eastern state of Saxony were among those killed, including a 45-year-old man who was killed after handling what was referred to as a "firework bomb." Firefighters and emergency services were targeted by fireworks during New Year’s celebrations from Tuesday night into Wednesday, authorities reported. In Berlin, the city’s fire department stated that firefighters handled 1,892 incidents on New Year’s Eve, which is 294 more than the previous year. Over 1,500 emergency personnel were on duty. The statement also mentioned at least 13 attacks on emergency workers during the night. 

On New Year's Eve, 330 people were arrested in the capital, according to Florian Nath, a spokesman for Berlin police. After being "presumably hit by an illegal firework," one police officer suffered serious injuries and is currently having surgery at the hospital, according to Nath. “Several people standing around the scene attacked the police officers and it is one of the low points of tonight,” he said. In Munich, the fire department reported that a firework caused a large balcony fire on the first floor of an apartment building. The fire spread to the second floor, according to the department's statement. This year, the department said, there were "particularly serious" injuries from pyrotechnics in Munich. 

Three children, aged two, eleven, and fourteen, were badly hurt in separate incidents. The two-year-old and eleven-year-old boys suffered burns on their hands, necks, and faces, while the fourteen-year-old boy lost parts of his hand from a New Year’s Eve firecracker. All three children were taken to hospitals for further treatment. "Deployment of strong police forces from the federal states and the federal police and an early and consistent crackdown are the right means against perpetrators of violence and chaos," said German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a statement on X, praising the emergency services' efforts. “However, the many arrests in Berlin alone and the renewed attacks on police officers also show that this crackdown was absolutely necessary,” she added. On Wednesday, the first responders' union released a statement condemning the violence directed at emergency services.

“It is unacceptable that people who work for the common good are repeatedly the target of attacks. Under no circumstances should violence against public service employees be accepted as an occupational hazard,” said deputy chairwoman Christine Behle. According to the German Pyrotechnics Association BVPK, illicit and handmade fireworks are the main cause for concern. “These extremely dangerous crafts have nothing to do with legal and tested New Year’s Eve fireworks from specialist retailers or discounters,” board member Ingo Schubert said. “Anyone who associates the dangerous tinkering and the illegal handling of dangerous explosives with safe, small fireworks is confusing apples with oranges.” 

In a statement released on Wednesday, the German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe reiterated its demands for a national ban on the private sale of pyrotechnics on New Year's Eve, cautioning that the new year had once again turned into "a night of horror for countless people."