"Flammable"

4.2 tons of fireworks confiscated in Vienna

A total of 4.2 tons of fireworks were seized.(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

A whopping 4.2 tons of fireworks were confiscated in Vienna-Meidling on Tuesday as part of an inspection by the Emergency Measures Group. The items in question were "inflammable goods".

The items had been illegally stored in a business premises as well as in vans and a trailer (see pictures below), the group announced. "The confiscated fireworks will now be properly removed with the support of the fire department and taken to a designated storage facility," it continued.

"In addition, three illegal workers were discovered", the statement added. The inspection was carried out following a tip-off from the Vienna police.

The goods were stored illegally in the store as well as in minibuses and a trailer.(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

(Bild: Gruppe Sofortmaßnahmen)

"The regular checks of sales outlets for fireworks are an essential part of our work for good reason. I would like to thank the Vienna police, the fire department and the city departments for their important cooperation for the benefit of the Viennese population," said Walter Hillerer, Head of the Emergency Measures Group.

In the run-up to the New Year's Eve celebrations, the Vienna police had already carried out priority actions against banned firecrackers and illegal weapons. Officers from the riot unit seized 560 pieces of prohibited pyrotechnics as well as a knuckleduster and a folding knife in Floridsdorf at the weekend.

Seven young men between the ages of 16 and 23 were charged under the Pyrotechnics Act.