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.

( February 19 2002)