This Lunar New Year, deadly explosions involving the illegal production of fireworks have again been making headlines.
Five people died in Inner Mongolia late last month, and at least 26 have died across the mainland since late December.
Party-goers have also become victims, mainly due to substandard fireworks and their use in inappropriate locations. An investigation into the fire that engulfed a tower at the China Central Television complex in Beijing last year found that some CCTV staff had illegally set off fireworks.
Despite the many regulations governing the production and sale of fireworks, accidents have not subsided. Professor Wang Yukai, from the National School of Administration, said the lure of huge profits was largely to blame.
The industry is labour-intensive and the companies are often small, making operations accident-prone and government oversight difficult. 'Many of these are family-run operations in poor areas,' Wang said. 'Many people in the industry have received little education, and their sense of law and self-protection is weak.'
There are 7,000 licensed manufacturers and 140,000 retailers in 2006, government statistics show. Many more operate illegally.
