A twelve-year-old boy was killed in a New Year's Eve bang in the Netherlands.
Another boy, eleven years old, suffered serious injuries on Friday in the community of Haaksbergen not far from Enschede and near the German border, as the ANP news agency reported.
He was taken to the hospital.
The incident is said to have occurred around 11.30 a.m., according to the NOS broadcaster.
According to the information, the children had not handled fireworks themselves, but only watched a man detonate magnesium powder with a device known as a "Klaphamer" (for example: hammer). The man was arrested. An investigation into negligent homicide has started. How the accident happened exactly, according to the police, initially remained unclear.
The mayor of Haaksbergen has already expressed his condolences to the relatives.
“My thoughts are with the people who are now utterly devastated.
That's the worst that can happen to you, ”said Rob Welten to the regional broadcaster RTV Oost.
Local residents also told RTV Oost that they were startled by a loud bang at lunchtime.
In the street where the drama took place, some neighbors would have a small festival every year.
In the Netherlands there is actually a nationwide ban on firecrackers on New Year's Eve.
The government had imposed the ban for the second year in a row so as not to put additional strain on hospitals in the corona pandemic.
In 2019, more than 1,300 people had to be treated for injuries from fireworks.
In 2020, the number fell by 70 percent as a result of the ban.