Police Seize 275 Fireworks Near Schools, Five Girls Injured in Kaštela
Despite early morning prevention operations across Split-Dalmatia County, a pyrotechnic device was set off near an elementary school, injuring five female students.
Despite early morning prevention operations across Split-Dalmatia County, a pyrotechnic device was set off near an elementary school, injuring five female students.
The Split-Dalmatia Police Department today confiscated 275 pyrotechnic devices across 11 locations near elementary schools in Split, Strožanac, Solin, and Sinj. Despite the heightened police presence, five 13-year-old girls suffered minor injuries in Kaštela after a so-called cannon blast was detonated near their school. The incident occurred at around 11:20 a.m., and police detained two minors in connection with the event.
The morning prevention sweep yielded alarming results. Officers from Split's First and Second Police Stations discovered pyrotechnic devices concealed in bushes and small wooded areas immediately surrounding school buildings. According to the Split-Dalmatia Police Department, a total of 275 devices of various types were seized across 11 locations, with the operation covering the areas of Split, Strožanac, Solin, and Sinj.
Despite the preventive measures, an incident occurred nonetheless. At around 11:20 a.m. in Kaštela, a pyrotechnic device, believed to be a cannon blast, was set off near an elementary school. Five 13-year-old girls sustained skin abrasions and minor burns. Emergency medical responders arrived at the scene and treated the injuries on the spot, according to Slobodna Dalmacija. Two minors linked to the incident were taken to a police station, and a criminal investigation has been launched against them.
Police stress that the devices in question are banned even for adults, and are particularly dangerous in the hands of minors, as they can cause permanent harm. Beyond the risk of personal injury, authorities are also warning of another dimension of the problem.
"Police have pointed out that there was also a significant risk of fire and property damage had the devices been set off at the locations where they were hidden."
Under current regulations, children under the age of 14 are prohibited from using any type of pyrotechnic device, and when violations occur, it is the parents who face administrative penalties, the Split-Dalmatia Police Department reminds the public.
Police have renewed their appeal to parents to speak with their children about responsible behavior during end-of-school-year celebrations, and have extended the same call to school staff. The Police Department has stated that enhanced surveillance will continue throughout school zones, public spaces, and youth gathering spots across Split-Dalmatia County for the remainder of the day. The goal, they emphasize, is to ensure that end-of-term celebrations pass without injuries, public order violations, or property damage.
Pyrotechnic incidents around the end of the school year are nothing new in Croatia. Every year, police record a spike in illegal fireworks use near schools, with minors typically both the perpetrators and the victims. This year's operation in Split-Dalmatia County suggests the problem is reaching serious proportions, nearly 300 dangerous devices were seized in a single area in a single day. The criminal investigation into the detained minors is expected to shed light on how the devices were obtained and who placed them near the school buildings.
