By MIRIAM KUEPPER – The Daily Mail
A car full of fireworks exploded in the Netherlands after the driver smoked a cigarette and threw it out the window only for the wind to blow it back inside.
A 21-year-old man called Gerben, from the Dutch town of Nieuwleusen, bought 75kg of fireworks in Germany on Friday for New Year’s Eve.
He was only a few miles away from his house when he smoked a cigarette and attempted to throw it out the window – but the wind blew it right back in, causing a fire inside his black Volvo V70.
‘We saw red flashes and heard a bang. It went dark inside the car because of all the smoke. We thought: we have to get out of the car,’ Gerben told Dutch outlet Hart van Nederland.
Footage shows black smoke billowing into the sky while colourful flares are shooting out in all directions.
The inferno was caused by a cigarette, which landed on the 75kg of fireworks in the car
Meanwhile the car’s horn goes off repeatedly as the firework explosions sound across the country road and nearby empty field.
While his friend got out of the inferno unscathed, Gerben sustained burns on his leg and had to get treated in hospital.
Despite attempts by the fire brigade to save the car, it ended up burning out completely.
Shocking pictures show the wreck, which has little resemblance with the car prior to the fire due to the lack of windows and the black paint being burnt off.
‘It’s a shame that my car and the fireworks are gone,’ Gerben said and added that he doesn’t expect to receive an insurance payout to replace his car.
He said he has learned his lesson and will no longer smoke with fireworks in his car, admitting it ‘wasn’t very helpful’.
Gerben said he had about 75kg of fireworks in his car, which were worth several hundred euros.
He told RTL Nieuws that while setting off pyrotechnics is not allowed where he lives, him and his friends ‘do it anyway’, adding that they bought fireworks in Germany ‘most years’.
Despite his lucky escape, the 21-year-old still plans on lighting fireworks for New Year’s Eve tonight.
‘My friend went back to Germany this morning to get new fireworks,’ he said.
Those were the best fireworks I’ve seen this holiday.
🙂
.