New Year's Eve 2025 ends with a devastating toll. Far from a celebration: the night between December 31st and January 1st left one dead, 283 injured, and dozens maimed, many of them very young.
This is what emerges from the official report of the Department of Public Safety and Police on incidents related to the use of pyrotechnic products.
The victim, a 63-year-old Moldovan man, was found dead in Acilia, Rome . According to Carabinieri investigations, he died from a hemorrhage caused by the explosion of a firecracker he was handling.
The overall number of injured is 283, 54 of whom are hospitalized. Of these, 68 are minors. Twelve people were injured by gunshots.
On the medical front, 245 injured people have sustained injuries with a prognosis of up to 40 days, while 50 people are in more serious condition, with a prognosis of more than 40 days. Some are still in life-threatening condition.
In Milan, in the early hours of the new year, an incident particularly struck: a 12-year-old boy lost a hand while playing with a firecracker on Via Gatto, along with a boy his age who was also injured.
The list of the most significant episodes recorded throughout Italy is long.
In Brescia's Piazza della Vittoria, a 14-year-old Egyptian boy lost two fingers in a firecracker explosion and was airlifted to Verona in critical condition. He remains hospitalized with a critical prognosis.
In the same city, a 41-year-old woman was injured in the hand by a blank-firing pistol.
In Cagliari, a 19-year-old woman suffered a fractured jaw after a firecracker exploded in Piazza Yenne. In Caserta, a 9-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet while on his balcony.
The case in Chieti is very serious, where a sixteen-year-old risks losing a limb after a firecracker exploded .
In Crotone, a 37-year-old man suffered the amputation of four fingers, as well as injuries to his legs and face.
In Genoa, a 19-year-old lost three phalanges of his right hand ; in Naples, in two separate incidents, a man lost three fingers and another suffered serious injuries to his hands.
In Palermo, a 24-year-old woman was hit in the back by a stray bullet while she was at home .
Rome also reported: in addition to Acilia's death, a 33-year-old man suffered the amputation of his right ear and serious facial injuries; an 11-year-old boy suffered an ear injury; and a 28-year-old man lost a finger.
Among the most critical cases is Vercelli, where a 43-year-old man suffered the amputation of a hand and severe trauma to his chest and abdomen: his life is still in danger.
In Vieste, a 17-year-old Romanian boy lost his left hand and is hospitalized with a guarded prognosis.
The most shocking figure is that of minors: children and adolescents injured in public squares, streets, and even on their balconies. From ages 8 to 17, many have suffered amputations, burns, and serious trauma. A pattern that repeats itself every year, despite appeals, bans, and prevention campaigns.
In addition to the incidents, the report also takes a snapshot of the repressive activity carried out in December.
330 people were reported, 45 arrested, and a huge quantity of material was seized: over 3 tons of gunpowder, more than 57 tons of illegal fireworks, weapons, ammunition, detonators, and nearly a million pyrotechnic components.
A widespread arsenal, which explains why, despite the controls, New Year's Eve continues to turn into a countdown of injuries.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)
