Germany’s New Year’s celebrations turned chaotic in Berlin as more than 400 individuals were arrested for using illegal fireworks as weapons, resulting in numerous injuries, including a seven-year-old boy who required emergency surgery.
The city of Berlin experienced turmoil during the New Year’s Eve festivities ushering in 2026, with law enforcement confirming over 400 arrests due to violent incidents involving prohibited fireworks. Trouble areas such as Neukölln, Kreuzberg, and Moabit saw clashes where mobs targeted emergency services with rockets and homemade explosives, reflecting ongoing issues in various neighborhoods.
A massive force of 4,300 police officers, three times the usual deployment, and 1,600 firefighters were deployed to contain the unrest, but the efforts couldn’t prevent a significant number of casualties. Berlin police initiated 670 criminal inquiries, primarily related to the dangerous use of fireworks, violent assaults, and intentional arson incidents.
By the early hours of January 1st, 37 officers were injured, with one sustaining a severe leg injury from a spherical shell requiring surgery. A distressing video captured a bus engulfed in flames.
Emergency workers faced risks as well, with one firefighter hurt on duty and several officers suffering blast injuries from close-range detonations, highlighting the dangers they faced.
Civilian injuries surged, straining local emergency units. At Berlin’s Trauma Hospital (UKB), 42 individuals received treatment for severe firework-related injuries, including devastating harm to hands, faces, and eyes. Charité hospital saw 49 similar cases within a day, likening the injuries to war wounds caused by illegal devices. Multiple individuals lost fingers or parts of their hands in explosions, with at least eight cases reported by UKB by 1 am.
Children were also impacted, with an explosion in Tegel injuring eight people, including a seven-year-old boy who underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries. In Schoneberg, another blast injured five civilians and forced the evacuation of 36 flats due to building damage.
The chaos extended beyond Berlin, with reports nationwide underscoring the risks of unregulated fireworks. In Brandenburg, a 21-year-old man tragically died from injuries sustained while handling an unauthorized device. Five men across the country lost their lives due to firework incidents.
Among non-fatal incidents, a 23-year-old near Rostock lost his hand in a firecracker explosion, requiring immediate hospitalization. Similar accidents occurred in different regions, with individuals losing hands or fingers due to mishandling illegal fireworks.
While over 220,000 illicit fireworks were seized in Berlin, controlling the chaos proved challenging. Authorities recognized the need for stricter regulations on fireworks to prevent similar incidents in the future, emphasizing the negative impact on communities and infrastructure.
Calls for tighter fireworks regulations are growing as investigations continue, with hospitals cautioning about the preventable harm, especially to children, likening the impact to combat injuries.