Bright flashes and loud booms during this year's Spring Festival
have rocked urban Beijing despite the government's ban on
firecrackers, causing fires and injuries.
According to Beijing Evening News, fireworks have already injured
about 300 Beijing residents this holiday season. It said that 28
hospitals in downtown Beijing treated 114 people injured by
fireworks.
Low-quality firecrackers, which may go off prematurely, are to
blame for injuries, said local police.
Police have detained scores of people between February 11 and 17,
the height of the Spring Festival, for illegally selling or setting
off firecrackers.
Large numbers of firecrackers were confiscated and several dealers
were detained, but the police declined to cite specific figures, China
Daily reported.
The local Beijing Youth Daily said that 718 fires were reported in
Beijing during the week long holiday, compared with only 160 in the
corresponding period of last year.
In
Beijing, eight urban districts have banned firecrackers since 1993.
In certain suburban areas, residents are also not allowed to play
with the traditionally festive but often dangerous explosives.
(People's
Daily February 19 2002)