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Beijing cuts firework sales, reports fewer injuries in holiday week

Xinhua, February 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Sales of firework dropped and fewer injuries were caused by the festive explosive during the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, the Beijing government said Thursday.

As of Wednesday night, a total of 122,000 boxes of firework had been sold across the city, down 30.3 percent from the same period of last year, said a spokesman with the Beijing municipal government's fireworks office.

Eighty-one people were injured in firework-caused accidents from Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, the first six days of the holiday week, down 21.4 percent from last year, the official said.

He said no deaths or severe injuries were reported.

The city reported 62 fires caused by fireworks in the past six days, he said.

Beijing put 73,100 policemen, medical workers, firemen and volunteers on guard for firework-related emergencies Wednesday, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year which is traditionally considered a halt of the revelry and often celebrated by setting off more firecrackers and fireworks.

Amid pollution concerns, Beijing authorities cut firework sales this year by reducing the number of sales outlets by nearly 30 percent and halving the sales period to 10 days from 20. Endi