Teen boy seriously wounded after powerful firecracker explodes in his hands
A 13-year-old boy was in critical condition from an accident involving fireworks. The child likely lost part of his hand as a result of the incident on Tuesday afternoon, according to Omroep Zeeland.
“The investigation showed that the boy himself had lit a Cobra-6,” police said, referring to a type of powerful firecracker. The case is not being treated as a criminal incident, but rather a tragic accident.
The incident happened just after 1 p.m. on Heer Janszdorp in the Zeeland municipality of Kamperland, police confirmed. Emergency services raced to the scene followed by a trauma team traveling by helicopter. The boy, who is also from Kamperland, was transported by the air ambulance to an area hospital.
A witness told Omroep Zeeland that he heard the explosion, followed by screams. He then saw the injured boy lying on the street.
“I think he tried to walk home, but he ran into his mother on the way,” the man said. “I saw a lot of blood and even a piece of bone lying on the street. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost part of his hand.”
The regional broadcaster said the boy was taken to the Erasmus Hospital. The Rotterdam hospital is one of the trauma centers in the Netherlands which handles severe injuries caused by fireworks during the New Year’s period.
