At least 31 people were killed during new year’s celebrations in Colombia, preliminary figures by the national police showed on Friday. At least 71 people were injured by fireworks.
The police stressed that the high numbes of murders was still 18% lower than last year’s new year’s eve celebration. General Rodolfo Palomino, chief of Police in Bogota, claims the deline in murders is because national ban to carry weapons that was recently adopted. Most of the murders occured in fights between celebrating people.
The number of deaths through traffic accidents also went down, authorities say.
“The general balance is positive. Colombians behaved better,” Palomino sid.
Most of the fireworks victims were reported in the southern Nariño department, where 26 people were taken t hospital for treatment. In Antioquia 14 people were submitted to hospital and in Valle del Cauca another 11, the country’s Social Welfare Ministry said.