Two people have been killed and several injured by illegal fireworks around the country, during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
In Victoria, police are investigating the death of a 46-year-old Springhurst man after he was injured when a firecracker reportedly exploded in his hand.
The incident happened near the beach at Hollands Landing in Gippsland at about 9:30pm.
Ambulance Victoria’s Andy Watson said paramedics responded to more than 100 separate cases, including falls and assaults, in Melbourne’s CBD alone overnight.
“We’ve seen the standard types of cases, the slips, the trips and the falls early in the evening and then we see the alcohol come into play with some bigger slips, trips and falls and some assaults that occur on an annual basis sadly,” he said.
One man suffered leg injuries after falling from a lamp post on Princes Bridge, while elsewhere in Victoria, a man at Drouin was taken to hospital with facial burns after being hit by a firecracker.
A teenager was also hurt by fireworks at South Morang, in Melbourne’s north-east.
Paramedics treated three men in their 20s for burns after an aerosol can exploded in a fire at Cobram, in northern Victoria.
In Queensland a woman has been injured by fireworks on North Stradbroke Island.
Paramedics said the 45-year-old was treated for cuts to her legs after an incident at Amity Point. The woman is reportedly in a stable condition.
Police investigating NSW firework death
Meanwhile in New South Wales, a 52-year-old man on the central coast died while lighting a firework at Budgewoi Beach.
He suffered serious head injuries, police said, and despite the efforts of family and paramedics could not be revived.
Police said the man’s wife and friends, who were celebrating with him last night, will be interviewed over the next few days as officers investigate the circumstances leading up to the man’s death.
Police forensic experts are still at the beach.
Chief Inspector Colin Lott said the death was a timely reminder that people should not take unnecessary risks.
“During the holiday period, whether it be driving or enjoying themselves on the beach that safety must come first,” he said.
“They have to keep in mind their own safety and the people around them and not to take… unnecessary risks during this period.”
A 36-year-old man is also in critical condition in hospital after being badly injured during a fight at Parramatta in Sydney’s west, and a 26-year-old man is in a critical condition after falling off the back of a ute in Sydney’s CBD.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
© 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. Read the ABC Disclaimer here.
Top Comments
No sympathy whatsoever to those injuring themselves with illegal fireworks. They're illegal for a reason. If you choose to commit a crime by setting them off, then you need to accept responsibility for the consequences. (And perhaps it's a little bit of karma for all the dogs illegal fireworks terrorise each year...)
You were obviously too young for Guy Fawkes Day. Everyone used to have a fireworks display in their backyard.