Drop in firework sales during Chinese New Year:report

Fewer injuries were reported this year during the week-long Chinese New Year Holiday in Beijing due to drop in the sale of fireworks, the local government said today.
In the last six days a total of 1.22 lakh boxes of firework had been sold across the city, down 30.3 per cent from the same period of last year, a spokesman with the Beijing municipal government's fireworks office.
The weeklong official holiday is set to end today.
Eighty-one people were injured in firework-caused accidents from January 27 to February 1, the first six days of the holiday week, down 21.4 per cent from last year, the official said.

He said no deaths or severe injuries were reported, state-run Xinhua news agency 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 yesterday, 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 per cent and halving the sales period to 10 days from 20.