A reveller who blew his own hand off with a homemade firecracker has died in intensive care.
Bruno Savoia suffered the horrific accident in the courtyard of his block of flats on New Year’s Eve.
Standing with friends, the 43-year-old lit a powerful firecracker he had made himself, triggering a violent blast that startled the entire building.
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Several windows were smashed, while the garage and the ground-floor flat where Bruno lived with his partner were also damaged.
One local said: “It sounded like a bomb. We felt the glass shake and were terrified.”
The explosion struck Bruno with devastating force, blowing off his hand, causing deep abdominal injuries, and leaving him with burns across his body.
His partner, Grazia, said: “I called the emergency services 18 times, but they never arrived, even though we were close to the hospital.”
In the end, his friends loaded him into a car and rushed him to a nearby A&E in Vercelli, between Milan and Turin, Italy.
After receiving initial treatment, Bruno was transferred to hospital, where he underwent a delicate operation.
Surgeons were unable to reconstruct his hand, as reported by Need To Know.
His condition deteriorated over the following days and he died in the ICU in the early hours of Sunday (18 Jan).
Police believe Bruno had combined several firecrackers to create a powerful blast in what was meant to be a makeshift “display”.
“I wasn’t there when the explosion happened – I was in another room. I only heard Bruno calling for help,” Grazia recalled.
She wrote online: “Goodbye forever, my great love. Sadly, a cruel fate took you away from your family in the blink of an eye.
“Safe travels, Bru. I will never forget you – even though you broke my heart, you will live inside me forever.”
An investigation is under way to establish any responsibility, and an autopsy is expected to determine the exact cause of death.
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