“Crackers in the mouth or buttocks are not our fault”

Every year, terrible pyrotechnic accidents overshadow New Year’s Eve and the beginning of the year. After a young man († 18) was killed in Austria because a bullet bomb went off too early, a heated discussion arose in the country.

Because: it is not the first accident on New Year’s Eve. Last year, a bullet bomb killed a man († 23) in Lower Austria. Now the head of the fireworks association, Hans Matthias Liebenwein, joins the discussion.

For him it is clear: not the fireworks are to blame, but the wrong handling of them. “If it is also reported that someone puts a firecracker in the mouth or shoots it from behind, you can’t blame our industry,” he told the Austrian news agency APA.

«Legal, safe and colorful»

Such handling of fireworks is “dangerous nonsense”, especially in connection with alcohol and showing off. In addition, illegal products would be bought abroad, bringing his industry into disrepute, the industry boss continued. Because they would not meet safety standards and would sometimes explode prematurely.

On the other hand, he defended Austrian fireworks as “legal, safe and colorful.” The accidents are due to a lax attitude towards the crackers and dealers “who sell these fireworks to people without permission and expertise”.

Several dead on New Year’s Eve

In addition to the fatal accident on New Year’s Eve, several people were injured. In Lichtenau in Lower Austria, a gigantic firecracker flew over the ears of a 16-year-old on New Year’s Eve. He had already bought the hit in the F4 category in the Czech Republic in November.

Category F4 fireworks are really only intended for use by professionals. Only category F1 and F2 fireworks are allowed for private use. On Wednesday, the boy was still in mortal danger.

There were also deaths and injuries in Germany. In Erfurt, for example, a senior († 91) died after a firework exploded. In Leipzig, a young man († 17) was killed when handling fireworks.