Man dies in New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion

ONE of Victoria’s top cops has called for the public to ‘dob in’ anyone with illegal firecrackers after a man died and several others were injured during New Year’s Eve celebrations.

New Year celebrations at Federation square Melbourne. Picture: Rob Leeson.

ONE of the state’s top cops has called on the public to ‘dob in’ anyone who uses illegal firecrackers.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said the dangerous and potentially deadly practice had resulted in a man losing his life after the fireworks exploded in his hand on New Year’s Eve.

Another man in Drouin was also badly injured and needed medical treatment after setting off a firecracker.

Read more: Melbourne New Year’s Eve 2017: How we celebrated

But Mr Crisp praised New Year’s revellers ushering in 2017 overall despite more arrests than the previous year.

He said the tragedy of a 46-year-old man dying setting off illegal fireworks at Hollands Landing in Gippsland — one of two firecracker incidents that took a life on New Year’s Eve nationwide — needed action.

The man on top of the lamp post on the Princess Bridge. Picture: Supplied

And he called on the community to dob in anyone who possessed the dangerous explosives to police.

He warned that those who hoard fireworks should hand them in or risk criminal charges.

“(The man) was involved in letting off illegal fireworks and got it wrong,’’ Mr Crisp said.

“We know there will be more people with illegal fireworks over the summer.

“Fireworks are explosives. They can kill.

“As demonstrated across the New Year, possession and use of illegal fireworks can sadly result in injury, death and destruction of property.”

He said it was a criminal offence to possess an explosive, with penalties including up to 15 years jail and fines of thousands of dollars.

The State Coroner will conduct an investigation into the man’s death.

Mr Crisp said there was little trouble, despite police arresting 183 people statewide last night, up 57 arrests on last year.

Thousands of police were on duty to watch the celebrations. In the city, police used its hi-tech monitoring assessment centre to track people and monitor social media.

Cement blockades were also erected at critical points around Melbourne to stop any vehicles which could be used to attack a crowd.

Mr Crisp said there were several “low level’’ robberies in which people had their mobile phones taken and other items.

He confirmed there were incidents police were aware of involving a group of boys and girls of African appearance who had allegedly snatched phones and other items from city revellers.

It is understood two arrests were made.

As part of the New Year’s Eve operation across the state, police made 183 arrests, including 109 for drunk.

There were also:

•110 reported assaults

•338 licensed premises visits

•7 banning notices issued

•9 reported minor injuries to members

•308 penalty notices issued

Last New Year’s Eve (2015) police arrested 126 people including 65 for drunk. There were also 62 reported assaults, 16 drink drivers and one banning notice issued.

In other firework-related incidents, a man in his 20s was rushed to Dandenong Hospital in a stable condition after he was hit in the face by a firecracker in Drouin.

A teenager in South Morang was also treated for minor injuries when he was hit in the face by fireworks while three men, aged in their 20s, suffered burns when an aerosol can exploded in a fire in Cobram.

A man remains in a critical condition after he was flown to the Alfred Hospital with a suspected drug overdose in Lorne.

In the city, a man aged in his 40s was taken to hospital with leg injuries after he fell three metres from a lamp post on Princess Bridge.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said the man fell from the lamp post, which subsequently fell on him, about 12.30am on New Year’s Day.

Paramedics responded to more than 100 cases in the CBD alone between 8pm to 2am.

Treatment was requested following minor assaults as well as intoxication, drug overdoses, slips, trips and falls.

NEW YEARS EVE: YOUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE