Poland brings in 2017 'calmly': police

A spokeswoman for the police said seven died and 86 were injured in 65 road accidents on 31 December 2016, while 151 drunk drivers were stopped. She added that these figures were lower than in earlier years.

The spokeswoman said that New Year's Eve parties were safe and that police did not get calls about injuries from fireworks. In Poland, fireworks are available in supermarkets in December and are customarily set off in backyards and on the streets.

However, one person died and a residential building, where a pyrotechnics company was based, was destroyed when a supply of fireworks inside exploded in a town some five kilometres north of Warsaw.

A fire department spokesman said that a further three died and 33 were injured in other fireworks related fires in the country. (vb)

Source: IAR