Many cities in China have seen a slump in firecracker sales this year owing to increasing concerns about pollution levels.
According to the Beijing Municipal Administration of Work Safety, only 747 retailers applied for a license in the city this year. That’s about 500 lesser than last year.
As of the eve of Chinese New Year, about 126 thousand boxes of fireworks and firecrackers had been sold in the city. The number represents a 52 percent decline compared with 260 thousand boxes last year.
Between midnight and 1 am on Friday, the city saw 68 cases of fire accidents caused by setting of firecrackers and fireworks. This was down by eighteen percent from the last year. 13 people were injured compared to 25 people last year.