BERLIN (AP) " German police say a woman has died after being hit in the head by metal splinters on New Year's Eve.

Police in the northern city of Kiel said Wednesday that the 39-year-old mother of three had stepped out of her house to watch fireworks shortly before midnight. A few minutes later, she collapsed with a bleeding head wound. She died at a hospital in Kiel, where doctors found small metal splinters in her head.

A police statement said the injury didn't appear to have been caused by "commercial" fireworks.

Germans typically welcome the new year by setting off large quantities of fireworks. Their sale is tightly regulated and authorities warn against setting off cheaper firecrackers that don't conform to local standards.