Chechnya starts preventive "New Year Tree" operation

In Chechnya, the local Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) have launched a large-scale prophylactic operation aimed to reduce the risk of fires and other emergencies in the days of the New Year celebrations.

"In the context of the upcoming New Year holidays, the MIA and MfE employees have initiated a supervisory and preventive operation, named 'New Year Tree'. It is conducted in two directions: inspection of the facilities, which will host the celebrations, for compliance with fire safety regulations, and check of the retail outlets, where they sell fireworks and other pyrotechnics," an MfE specialist told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In total, in the coming days, fire safety inspectors will have to check about 600 different sites. "First and foremost, these are schools and preschool establishments, as well as other places, which will be crowded during the New Year holidays," said the source.

"Certain unfair traders often sell fireworks and pyrotechnics, which may cause a serious threat to those who use them," he said. "Especially dangerous are China-made articles. In recent years, we had cases, where teenagers, who used low-quality pyrotechnics, received serious burns and injuries."