A 10-year-old boy in Taranto in Sicily
had his hand amputated after an accident with a banger amid the
traditional New Year's Eve fireworks mayhem in Italy.
No one was killed this year but many were injured, included 50
children, with the biggest casualty toll as usual being in the
noisiest and most boisterous city, Naples.
A 12-year-old boy at Carini near Palermo, lost four fingers
after picking up an unexploded firecracker.
In Rome a 17-year-old boy suffered lesions to his right hand
while a 19-year-old man had damage to his left ear.
In Caserta, near Naples, a 22-year-old man lost two of the
fingers of his right hand.
In Rome some 60 cars were set alight by fireworks.
The interior ministry said that "across Italy 180 people were
hurt including many minors, but no one was thankfully killed".
It also said that 35 people were arrested and 273 cited.
The 3kg and potentially lethal Kvara Bomb, named after the
Georgia dribbling sensation who has sent league leader Napoli's
fans wild this season, was one of the additions to the
high-explosive fireworks for New Year celebrations in the
southern city which unleashes the biggest mayhem every year and
has the highest casualty toll in Italy.
The huge banger named after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia aka Kvaradona
for his similarities to Diego Maradona, joined past notorious
illegal Naples fireworks including the COVID Bomb, Cobra 7, the
Rambo 1, the Uranus 2020, the Kamikaze, the Bin Laden Bomb, The
Maradona Bomb, The Pope Bomb, Desert Storm, Red October, Turbo
3, The Spread, Maya and Insigne, after another past Napoli
darling, striker Lorenzo Insigne.
Many of the illegal fireworks sold in Italy are actually
rudimentary bombs.
Naples youths delight in giving heavy-duty fireworks scary
or jokey names.
Tonnes of illegal noise-creating devices had been seized in the
run up to the New Year again this year.
Last year there were no deaths from fireworks in the New Year
mayhem across Italy but several people were injured, the
majority in Naples.
Women in Naples got so fed up with their menfolk in 2008
that they launched a 'no sex if you let off fireworks' drive.
The operation had some success as the number of injuries
dropped by about 100.
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