The Hague: At least 200 people were arrested by police and one person died due to fireworks during the New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Netherlands, Dutch police said on Wednesday.
Those people were arrested for charges including rioting, vandalism, violence, public drunkenness and insults while a 14-year-old boy died in Rotterdam when the heavy fireworks he wanted to set off exploded prematurely.
Elsewhere, serious injuries from fireworks were reported. Two young people in Wognum, North Holland, were critically hurt when fireworks exploded. Additional injuries due to heavy fireworks also occurred in some other towns in the country.
Dutch police reported numerous interventions across major cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, Zaandam, The Hague, Breda, and Groningen. The incidents ranged from arson and rioting to assaults on emergency services.
A police statement confirmed that officers and other first responders faced attacks in several locations, resulting in an unspecified number of injuries among emergency workers.
At least 200 arrests were made during the tumultuous night, although exact figures are yet to be confirmed.
UNI XINHUA
