At least two teens killed, hundreds arrested in New Year festivities

At least two people were killed and several seriously injured in various incidents during the New Year festivities, while hundreds of people were arrested for public order offences and attacking emergency service workers.


A 13-year-old boy died in hospital after being hit by illegal fireworks on a campsite in Harderwijk, news agency ANP said.
And a 17-year-old youth died of head injuries after setting off a home made firework bomb in a rural part of Groningen.

Police

In The Hague, youths set some 40 cars on fire, double last year’s total. Two police officers were treated in hospital after they were attacked by youths with fireworks. Over 70 people were arrested during the night for vandalism, arson and public order offences.
Mayor Jozias van Aartsen said the trouble was confined to a few areas and in other parts of the city with a history of New Year trouble, there were no incidents.
In Rotterdam riot police were on standby but did not have to act, Nos tv said. However, at least 100 people were arrested in what the region’s police said was a ‘busy but manageable’ night
Amsterdam
A similar number of people were arrested in Amsterdam, mainly for public disorder offences. An open-air concert on the Museumplein attended by some 25,000 people passed off without serious incident, ANP said.
In Limburg, police were called out to deal with incidents in Maastricht, Heerlen and Hoensbroek, mainly involving drunken youths.
Fires
Amsterdam fire officers were called out to deal with almost 200 fires in underground waste paper bins, many more than in previous years, ANP said.
In Rotterdam, a bakery burnt down and 12 homes were evacuated. In Friesland a farm was destroyed by fire and dozens of cows killed.
There was little problem on the roads, despite the mist and fog, which was very thick in some places in Zeeland, Brabant and Utrecht, ANP reported.
The Telegraaf reports a 22-year-old man was arrested in Bergen op Zoom with nine times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood.

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