Berlin: Chaos as NYE fireworks event descends into violent mayhem | World | News
Germany’s capital was plunged into chaos as New Year’s Eve celebrations tipped into 2026, with police saying more than 400 people were arrested during widespread attacks using illegal fireworks. The night was marked by aggressive clashes in hotspots such as Neukölln, Kreuzberg and Moabit, where crowds targeted emergency responders with rockets and homemade explosives, a reminder of recurring problems in the city’s urban areas.
Authorities deployed 4,300 police officers (three times the normal number) and 1,600 firefighters to stop the violence, but these efforts failed to prevent numerous casualties. Berlin police initiated 670 criminal cases, mostly for misuse of pyrotechnics, assault and arson. In the early hours of January 1, 37 police officers suffered injuries, including a serious leg wound from a “Kugelbombe” or spherical shell that required surgery. A spectacular clip has emerged showing a bus in flames.
A firefighter was also injured during the operations, while many other police officers suffered “blast traumas” from close-range explosions; This revealed the extreme dangers facing first responders.
Civilian casualties rose rapidly and local A&E departments were overwhelmed. At the Berlin Trauma Hospital (UKB), 42 people were treated for serious injuries caused by fireworks, including devastating damage to hands, faces and eyes.
The Charité hospital handled 49 similar cases in 24 hours, with surgeons likening the wounds to “battle injuries” caused by illegal devices. Many people lost fingers or parts of their hands in explosions in the city; At least eight such cases were reported to the UKB at 1am alone.
Unfortunately, there were children among the victims. A cannon bomb explosion in Tegel injured eight people, including a seven-year-old boy who underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries, as well as two other children who suffered minor injuries.
Five civilians were injured in another explosion in Schoneberg, which was powerful enough to damage buildings and force residents out of 36 flats.
The turmoil extends far beyond Berlin, with national reports highlighting the dangers of unregulated pyrotechnics. A 21-year-old man in Brandenburg died due to injuries caused by a device he was not authorized to use. Five people lost their lives due to fireworks exploding across the country.
Among the serious non-fatal cases, a 23-year-old man near Rostock lost his left hand after a “firework” exploded in his hand and required immediate hospitalization.
Similar incidents were reported in other regions; A 14-year-old boy near Rostock also lost his left hand after a firework exploded, while in Leipzig a 16-year-old girl lost her little finger and part of her ring finger after misusing an illegal device.
Police seized more than 220,000 illegal fireworks in Berlin alone, but enforcement struggled against the extent of disorder. Authorities said preventative measures such as gun bans and pyrotechnic restrictions had mitigated some risks, but the night marked a “low point” characterized by damaged infrastructure and traumatized communities.
As investigations continue, calls for tighter fireworks regulations are growing amid warnings from hospitals about preventable “war-like” casualties on young people.
