Illegal fireworks campaign kicks off as boy, 11, hurt in blast

An eleven year old boy was injured while lighting a firework in Breda yesterday afternoon. He was taken to the Amphia hospital by ambulance. He injured his right hand and right thigh. According to a witness several kids were lighting fireworks. They apparently lit a Cobra that did not explode immediately. They then took of the firework's cap and put a piece of paper inside, which they lit. The firework went off immediately and injured the 11 year old boy. The police are investigating how the children got the fireworks. VeiligheidNL (SafetyNL) has launched a campaign warning f the dangers of illegal fireworks. According to VeiligheidNL, people illegally storing and lighting fireworks are not easy to deter. The campaign is therefore aimed at neighbors. Last week they performed a striking action to draw attention to the campaign. In several places a man in a bomb suit visited houses and asked residents if they would receive and keep a package with fireworks for their neighbors. Many people reacted strongly and said that they don't want fireworks in their homes. VeiligheidNL thinks it important that people speak out against having "explosives in the neighborhood". According to Angeniet Gillissen of VeiligheidNL, fireworks are stored in the most bizarre places. "There are large amounts of fireworks under the beds of children for weeks so that it is not detected by the police. Most people do not realize that with that, almost always illegal fireworks, they have small 'bombs' in their homes. An accident could have disastrous consequences for themselves and the environment."