Germany's welcome to 2026 was marred by widespread violence and tragedy as New Year's Eve celebrations spiralled out of control, resulting in five fatalities and hundreds of injuries across the nation.
In the capital, Berlin, the situation was particularly severe, with police making over 400 arrests after coordinated groups attacked emergency services with banned pyrotechnics.
Berlin Descends into Mayhem
The Berlin police force, supported by 4,300 officers and 1,600 firefighters, struggled to contain the disorder in neighbourhoods including Neukölln, Kreuzberg, and Moabit. Mobs targeted police and fire crews with rockets and homemade explosives, leading to the launch of 670 criminal investigations.
The toll on emergency workers was significant: 37 police officers were wounded, one seriously after being hit by a powerful 'Kugelbombe' spherical shell. A firefighter was also injured, with many personnel suffering blast trauma from explosions at close range. Shocking footage emerged showing a public bus engulfed in flames on the city's streets.
A Trail of Severe Injuries and Tragic Deaths
Hospitals were overwhelmed with civilians suffering horrific injuries from illegal fireworks. Berlin's Trauma Hospital (UKB) treated 42 people for serious wounds to hands, faces, and eyes. The Charité hospital dealt with 49 similar cases in 24 hours, with medics describing the injuries as akin to 'war wounds'.
Children were among the victims. In the Tegel district, a firework explosion injured eight people, including a seven-year-old boy who required emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries. In Schöneberg, a blast forced the evacuation of 36 flats after damaging buildings.
The national picture was equally grim. Across Germany, five men lost their lives due to exploding fireworks. In Brandenburg, a 21-year-old man died from injuries caused by a device he was not authorised to handle. Other severe incidents included:
- A 23-year-old man near Rostock who lost his left hand.
- A 14-year-old boy, also near Rostock, who lost his left hand.
- A 16-year-old girl in Leipzig who lost her little finger and part of her ring finger.
Mounting Pressure for Tighter Regulations
Despite police confiscating more than 220,000 illegal fireworks in Berlin alone, the scale of the violence was immense. Authorities have acknowledged the night as a 'low point', with infrastructure damaged and communities left shaken.
The events have ignited urgent calls for stricter national controls on the sale and use of pyrotechnics. Hospitals have issued stark warnings about the entirely preventable, combat-like injuries inflicted on young people, pushing the debate over firework regulation to the forefront of public policy.
