Halle: 13-year-old seriously injured in firework explosion

A 13-year-old boy has been seriously injured after a firework exploded in a wooded area in Halle, located in the Gütersloh district of North Rhine-Westphalia. Two other teenagers, aged 15 and 16, sustained minor injuries during the incident.

The victims claimed that two unknown individuals dressed in dark clothing threw the firework near them before fleeing. However, police investigators noted discrepancies in the accounts. Witnesses reported seeing only the three injured youths walking out of the woods, and a lighter was discovered near an e-scooter left behind by one of the teenagers.

Authorities are investigating whether the incident is linked to a separate act of property damage on Friday evening, where unknown individuals used pyrotechnics to damage a mailbox and fled on an e-scooter. Police are seeking further witness information to clarify the circumstances.