Firecracker injures 10 pupils in Oberhausen school changing room
A group of pupils threw a firecracker into a changing room at a secondary school in Oberhausen, Germany, injuring 10 children, police say.
A firecracker thrown into a sports changing room at a secondary school in Oberhausen's Osterfeld district injured ten pupils on Tuesday morning, local police said.
Twelve fifth-grade pupils, aged 10 and 11, were in the changing room when a group of students threw the firecracker inside at around 9:40am, police said. Officers and firefighters were called to the scene immediately.
Five of the injured children were taken to nearby hospitals as a precaution after complaining of headaches and earaches, police said. Parents and guardians were informed, and some went straight to the school.
Police said all pupils believed to have been involved were identified at the scene, though it did not disclose their ages or name the school. Oberhausen's criminal investigation department has taken over the case and enquiries are continuing.
The incident came four days after a firecracker exploded in a boys' toilet at a school in Neuwied, Germany, injuring several pupils with acoustic trauma from the blast, German media reported. Police have not said whether the two incidents are linked.
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What we know
- A firecracker thrown into a changing room at a secondary school in Oberhausen's Osterfeld district injured ten pupils on Tuesday, police said.
- Twelve fifth-graders, aged 10 and 11, were in the room when the device went off at about 9:40am.
- Five of the injured were taken to hospital as a precaution for headaches and earaches.
- Police identified all pupils believed involved at the scene; the criminal investigation department is now handling the case.
- A similar firecracker explosion injured several pupils at a school in Neuwied four days earlier.
Why it matters for Europe
The explosion is the second incident in a week in which a firecracker thrown by pupils has injured children at a German school, after a similar blast in a Neuwied school toilet injured several pupils with hearing-related injuries. Police have not said whether the two cases are connected.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Oberhausen?
- A group of pupils threw a firecracker into a school changing room, injuring ten children aged 10 and 11, police said.
- Were any children hospitalised?
- Five of the ten injured pupils were taken to hospital as a precaution after complaining of headaches and earaches.
- Is this linked to a similar incident in Neuwied?
- A firecracker also injured several pupils at a school in Neuwied four days earlier, but police have not said whether the two incidents are connected.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.