A 23-year-old man died yesterday after being seriously injured during carbide shooting – also known as carburetry shooting or milk can shooting, a custom in which a milk can is fired as a ‘cannon’ – in the Dutch village of Diessen (North Brabant). Police are interviewing witnesses but believe it was a fatal accident.
The accident happened around 4.40 pm in the village in the municipality of Hilvarenbeek. There were about forty people present who saw the accident happen. The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition after the accident.
Shooting carbide
Shooting carbide is an old custom in which big bangs are caused with the help of a lump of carbide and a strong milk can, for example during a New Year’s Eve celebration.
Carbid is a compound of carbon and calcium. Carbide shooters put a lump of carbide in an empty milk can and wet it. This creates a gas that accumulates in the ball-sealed canister. The gas is lit through a hole in the bottom of the milk churn. After a short time, the gas explodes and the ball shoots dozens of meters away.
Shooting carbide is part of the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The tradition comes from the Germans. In the north and east of the country, popping carbide has long been a tradition, for which there are also special clubs. Carbid is not fireworks and is therefore not regulated within the fireworks ban.
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