Dortmund

Two Germans killed – Police speak of improper handling.

According to the Vietnamese news agency TTXVN, negligence in the handling of fireworks caused the explosion that claimed the lives of the two German technicians from Hemer (WR reported previously). The agency cited a high-ranking member of the police department of the Vietnamese capital city Hanoi. According to this, the blast occurred on Wednesday at 11:40 am (local time) during the transport of two containers filled with fireworks, triggered by improper handling of the hazardous cargo. Further details were not available.

The containers exploded near My Dinh National Stadium, situated approximately ten kilometres from the city centre. Eyewitnesses reported that the force of the explosion shattered windows in the neighbourhood surrounding the stadium; a dense cloud of smoke rose above the city. Four people were killed, among them the safety officer of the Hemer regional garden show, Siegfried Tomczak, and his co-worker Karl-Heinz Schinella. Three other people were injured.

The German technicians had travelled to Hanoi to assist in preparations for the huge fireworks display to celebrate the capital city’s anniversary. In spite of the fatal accident the pyrotechnic displays are still scheduled to take place on Sunday.