19-07-2025
Germany updates: 19 injured in Düsseldorf fair fireworks – DW – 07/19/2025
A fireworks accident at Düsseldorf's city fair has injured 19 people, four seriously, after rockets veered into the crowd. Meanwhile, the German Red Cross says the country lacks basic crisis training. Join DW for more.
A fireworks show at the Düsseldorf city fair, the Rheinkirmes, had to be cut short after 19 people were injured — four of them seriously — when rockets flew too close to the crowd.
Emergency crews have said at least one child was hurt, as videos and witnesses showed fireworks exploding unusually low.
In other news, Germany's Red Cross warns that the population is lacking in people with skills to deal with major emergencies, while German media responds to the latest deportation flight to Afghanistan.A fireworks display at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes — a type of town fair — has left 19 people injured, including four seriously.
Emergency services confirmed the injuries late Friday after fireworks reportedly exploded unusually close to the ground. According to police, at least one child was among the injured.
Eyewitnesses told German public broadcaster WDR that some rockets flew sideways or detonated low, with a few even landing in the Rhine River. One video from across the river shows explosions lighting up both the sky and ground at the same time.
"I was at the fair watching the fireworks," said one witness. "Some rockets flew surprisingly low and exploded close to people. I wondered if that wasn't too near the crowd."
Fire officials believe some rockets may have veered off course, with one misfiring directly into the crowd.
Organizers initially kept the fair running to avoid panic but ended festivities early around 10:45 p.m. (2045 GMT). The event had been scheduled to continue into the early morning.
The Rheinkirmes fair, the biggest to take place on the river, is rooted in an annual celebration of the city's patron saint Apollinaris. It started on July 11 and is set to end on Sunday.
Germany has been falling short on preparing its population for major emergencies, according to the German Red Cross (DRK).
Millions of people need training in first aid and self-reliance, said Heike Spieker, head of the DRK's National Relief Society.
"To build these skills sustainably, four million people would need to be trained," she said. That level of preparedness would ensure people could help themselves and others during a crisis.
The courses, supported by federal funding and offered by aid groups, go beyond first aid. According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, they cover how to act when power goes out or flooding follows heavy rain.
To reach a "reasonable level" within five years, around 800,000 people would need training each year, Spieker said.
"In reality, current funding covers an average of fewer than 100,000 participants per year," she added.
She also criticized the government's current budget plans, saying they are "absolutely insufficient and contradict the political promises to strengthen civil protection."
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from the DW newsroom in sunny Bonn on the Rhine River.
You join us as news comes in of a mishap at what was supposed to be a dazzling event at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes on Friday night, when a fireworks display went wrong.
Emergency services said the rockets appeared to explode far too close to the ground, and 19 people were injured. According to police, at least one child was among those hurt.
Follow along for the latest on what Germany is talking about on Saturday, July 19.
