Last year, an estimated 10 million euros was destroyed. According to the Dutch Association of Insurers, that amount is considerably lower than the last turn of the year before the corona crisis: then about 16 million euros had to be paid out. Last year, this amounted to 9 million euros, while there was a national lighting ban.
Raymond Boere
4 Jan. 2023
Latest update:
14:12
In the evening and night, destruction was caused and cars, scooters and rubbish containers went up in flames in many places. Homes were also damaged. Exactly 105 times incidents were so serious that the Salvage Foundation had to give first aid, an increase of 36 percent.
Fireworks played a role in just over half of the fires (51 percent), the highest percentage in the past 10 years. In ten reports, smoldering fireworks residues were probably the cause of the fire.
Not everything yet
According to the insurers, the actual damage during New Year’s Eve is much higher than the currently estimated 10 million euros. Medical costs are not included and claims from companies are also excluded.
The association estimates that at least a few million extra euros must be paid out. That’s how it went in Veghel an empty monumental church building burst into flames, hit a duck farm in Ermelo badly damaged and also got one number of schools in Amsterdam and Utrecht to do with fire from suspected fireworks.
According to general director Richard Weurding of the Dutch Association of Insurers, the fireworks bans imposed by various municipalities were difficult to enforce in practice. The strong wind didn’t help either. A huge amount of illegal fireworks has also been imported. According to Weurding, this ensures that the fireworks damage is again higher than in the years during corona.
The estimated damage during the previous turn of the year is 9 million euros. During the first corona year, that was still 5 million euros. Then many people adhered to the fireworks ban. Last year there was much less of that and last New Year’s Eve there were no restrictions. Only firecrackers and flares were no longer allowed to be set off. The amount is lower than the last old and new before the corona crisis. At that time, the amount of damage was 16.3 million euros.
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