The serious fireworks accident on New Year’s Eve in Ternitz, Lower Austria, claimed two lives. There is something new about the investigations into this tragic incident: if they were originally directed against unknown persons, now four people are at the center of the investigations.
The suspects are two youths and two adults, Erich Habitzl, spokesman for the Wiener Neustadt prosecutor’s office, confirmed in an ORF report on Wednesday. The investigation is now looking at the role of the four people in the explosion of the bullet bomb on New Year’s Eve. The chamber is still under suspicion of grossly negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm.
Mobile phone surveys and evaluations pending
According to Habitzl, the suspects have not yet been interrogated and an order has now been sent to the criminal investigation department. In addition, evaluations of seized mobile phones are still pending. A final report from the police is expected “in the coming weeks”, the spokesman for the authorities looked ahead.
The deadly explosion took place shortly before 0.30 am on New Year’s Eve in a field in St. Johann am Steinfelde, a cadastral municipality of Ternitz. Several local residents had detonated ball bombs. An 18-year-old was said to have been in the immediate vicinity of the fireworks when the explosion took the young man’s life. A person of the same age was flown by the rescue helicopter to a hospital in Graz with serious injuries.
Bombs bought illegally in the Czech Republic
A 17-year-old and another 18-year-old were immediately taken to the state hospital Wiener Neustadt with injuries. The older of the two succumbed to his injuries a few days after the incident. The bullet bombs used were probably F4 category fireworks, illegally purchased in the Czech Republic.
Source: Krone
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