Shocking results

Torn off fingers, hundreds of fires and one death

While most people were celebrating, the emergency services had their hands full on New Year's Eve.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/LPD Wien, Berufsfeuerwehr Wien, Berufsrettung Wien, stock.adobe.com)

From lost hands to severed fingers and burns: New Year's Eve ended tragically for many. On New Year's Day, the police, rescue services and fire department draw a shocking balance. The number of incidents was higher than the previous year. Only Vorarlberg reported a comparatively quiet night ...

While most people rang in the end of 2025 on New Year's Eve in a convivial and fitting manner, the police, emergency services and hospital staff were just getting down to work. New Year's Eve is a particular challenge for the emergency services every year - the figures speak for themselves. There were incidents all over Austria that left physical scars on the victims - sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Shocked teenager ran into the arms of rescuers
A 13-year-old in Vienna's Hietzing district was scarred for life when his party evening with friends came to an abrupt end when, according to the police report, he found a firecracker on the ground and set it off for fun. The firecracker detonated in his hand and tore off two of his fingertips - his friends immediately called the ambulance. When they arrived at the scene of the accident, the teenager was already running towards the emergency services - unfortunately it was not possible to do more than relieve his pain and take him to hospital.

The 14-year-old is also likely to remain in hospital for several days. Tragically, the new year begins for him without a hand. A few minutes before midnight, a firecracker exploded while he was handling it, according to the Vienna police. The heavily bleeding wound was brought under control using a tourniquet. However, the hand could not be saved.

Death in the Pinzgau region of Salzburg
In Erl in Tyrol, a 14-year-old Hungarian also lost the little finger on his right hand when a rocket exploded. A 38-year-old man suffered serious injuries in Längenfeld when a rocket flew straight into his face instead of upwards. There was also one death on New Year's Eve: according to the police, a 49-year-old Czech man slipped on a snow-covered path in Salzburg's Pinzgau region and fell in rocky terrain.

Balcony and cellar fires, burning garbage bins, room fires and automatic fire alarms going off: The firefighters were also kept busy throughout the night and had their hands full. Vienna's professional fire department reported the highest number of 389 operations, most of them between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. - after that, the alarm situation was much more relaxed.

Stray rockets as a possible cause
A major fire at midnight in Traun in Upper Austria caused quite a stir. Numerous residents and the adjoining building had to flee from an entire residential complex, ten fire brigades were called out as the roof was completely engulfed in flames. The cause of the fire has not yet been officially determined, but initial investigations suggest that it was probably caused by stray rockets. Fortunately, the emergency services only reported four minor injuries, while 35 people were treated by the Red Cross on site due to the cold. 

Prolonged drought affects Tyrol
In Tyrol, the persistent drought caused problems for the firefighters, which is why the authorities imposed a ban on fires and the like on Monday. In the tourist resort of Reith, drinking water even had to be brought in. Despite this, a fire broke out in a wooded area in Hochzirl near a hospital at around midnight. Extinguishing work still had to be carried out on Thursday. As in Upper Austria, the cause of the flames is not yet known, but pyrotechnics are also suspected. As a result of the operation, numerous hiking trails were closed on Thursday for safety reasons. 

Dozens of party guests escaped outside after a fire in a bar in Graz.(Bild: ORF Steiermark)

The Styrian emergency services also had a busy night with a total of 768 deployments. The fire department extinguished dozens of fires, for example in Schladming and St. Georgen am Kreischberg. Here too, investigators cited pyrotechnics as the cause of the fire. Memories of the catastrophic fire in the "Stern" restaurant were awakened in Graz last night. Exactly two years ago, a young woman from Lower Austria died in a fire there and dozens of people were seriously injured. This year, spray candles ignited decoration material in a bar, injuring 13 guests.

The Upper Austrian fire departments had to extinguish 49 fires, most of which were caused by firecrackers and the like. After the fire in Garsten, which ended fatally for an 85-year-old man, there were repeated fire alarms from 5 p.m. due to firecrackers and stray rockets that set fire to buildings, hedges or fences.

In Lassing, Styria, a wooden hut had to be extinguished.(Bild: FF Liezen)

Explosion ripped entrance door off its hinges
The night did not pass without troublemakers either. An explosion in Hollabrunn in Lower Austria was so violent that it blew the massive front door of an apartment building off its hinges. Several basement windows also shattered, and the massive garage door was also damaged. The force of the detonation caused considerable material damage. In the Innviertel (Upper Austria), the police tracked down a vandal, but he evaded questioning by jumping out of the window. The reason given was that he could not control himself when he was drinking. He was seriously injured.

Only the Vorarlberg police can take stock after a comparatively quiet New Year's Eve: the state control center registered a total of 368 operations. This means that the number of operations was roughly on a par with previous years.