Germany was plunged into chaos on New Year’s Eve after five people were killed and over 30 injured in shocking attacks using fireworks.
The tradition of setting off fireworks in public places to celebrate the new year took a violent turn this year as emergency officials became targets.
In Berlin alone, 30 police officers and one firefighter were injured during confrontations or attacks, leading to 400 arrests, according to city officials.
To curb further violence, hundreds of police officers from across the country were deployed to the capital.
Tragically, five people lost their lives and hundreds more were injured nationwide due to accidental firework impacts, as reported by the German news agency dpa.
The detonation of powerful, illegal fireworks also caused significant damage in two Berlin neighbourhoods, injuring many people, some seriously.
The city’s fire department reported that these explosions severely damaged numerous houses and shattered windows, leaving 36 apartments uninhabitable.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser endorsed the deployment of strong police forces from federal states and the federal police.
She said: “The 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.
“However, the many arrests in Berlin alone and the renewed attacks on police officers also show that this crackdown was absolutely necessary.”
She extended her wishes for a rapid recovery to all injured officers and made it unequivocally clear that any offenders will be “prosecuted and punished with the utmost severity.”
