For the second consecutive year, there were no fireworks-related deaths or injuries in Shanghai during Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, city Fire Control Bureau officials said yesterday.

They attributed the high safety record to their stringent crackdown on illegal fireworks and designating specific areas where it was permissible to set them off.

"Nowadays, some traffickers of illegal fireworks are shipping their products to Shanghai as early as summer in an attempt to avoid our inspections," said Chen Han'gen, a bureau vice director.

In Beijing, there were no fireworks-related fatalities, but about 300 people were injured as many ignored the municipal government's ban on fireworks, reported Xinhua news agency and the Beijing Evening News.

Beijing Youth Daily said there were 718 fires in Beijing during the weeklong holiday, an astounding 449 percent increase over the same period last year.

In Shanghai, firefighters battled 295 blazes - all small fires - that broke out in the period that began on February 11, the Chinese New Year's Eve, to 9 a.m. yesterday, said Yang Jie of the Fire Control Bureau.

It was during Spring Festival in 2000 that Shanghai last saw any fire-related deaths. During that holiday, a 13-year-old boy and a migrant worker were killed by explosions from illegal fireworks, which also injured 96, said Gu Yonghe, a bureau vice director.

During the holiday two years ago, there were 182 fires.

Last month, Shanghai authorities confiscated more than 7,000 boxes of illegal fireworks valued at 1.5 million yuan (US$180,000). Ten suspects were apprehended and a total of 300,000 yuan in reward money was given to tipsters, according to city fire officials.

During Spring Festival, more than 5,000 city firefighters were on duty. They were ordered to be particularly vigilant during the eve of the Lunar New Year and on Saturday, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, which is known as the day the "God of Fortune" arrives.

In Beijing, 28 downtown hospitals treated 114 people who suffered fire-works-caused injuries, reported the Beijing Evening News.

Poor-quality firecrackers, which can explode prematurely, were the cause, Beijing police said.

Since 1993, eight urban districts in Beijing have banned firecrackers.

( eastday.com February 19, 2002)