German officials call for clampdown on illegal ‘firework bombs’ after five deaths

Explosives brought in from Poland and the Czech Republic are combined with household items for a bigger bang

German officials have called for a clampdown on illegally imported and homemade firework bombs" after pyrotechnics for personal use killed at least five people across the country on New Year's Eve.

The use of personal firecrackers is widespread and only lightly regulated in Germany, leading to hundreds of injuries and massive deployments of police and first responders in cities at the end of every year.