Forbidden to set off fireworks in much of their city, some Berliners tried to launch them from their homes on New Year’s Eve, causing dozens of fires across the German capital.
About six minutes after midnight, the Berlin fire service was called for 18 fires, with more after. No one was initially informed of serious injuries.
Berlin revelers often take to the streets to light up the sky with fireworks on New Year’s Eve, but authorities have banned its use in more than 50 areas of the capital to discourage crowds.
The sale of fireworks was also banned in the run until December 31 in Germany, which is closed with only essential stores open until at least January 10 to try to suppress the new coronavirus.
After doing better than many of its neighbors in the early stages of the pandemic last year, Germany experienced a sudden increase in cases and deaths related to Covid-19. A daily record of 1,129 new cases was reported on Wednesday.