According to estimations, Icelanders will blow up fireworks worth ISK 1.5 billion (EUR 16 million, USD 21 million) tonight to celebrate New Year’s Eve, which is a new record.
Close to 1,000 tons of fireworks have been imported to the country, which is an almost 50 percent increase since last year. Vidskiptabladid reports.
Last year 638 tons of explosives were imported to Iceland, and every single rocket, cracker and torch was sold. Even old supplies disappeared from the shelves of fireworks retailers, which had never seen a record sale like this before.
Therefore it was decided to import a much greater amount of fireworks to Iceland this year, and rescue services (who handle the sale of fireworks in Iceland) predict a new record to be broken today.
Over 90 percent of the profits of fireworks sales are used for supporting the rescue services that sell the explosives, sporting clubs and charities. But recently private companies have begun selling fireworks as well.
Jón Gunnarsson, manager of Landsbjörg, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR), told Vidskiptabladid that he does not approve of private fireworks retailers.
