The bill comes after a blaze sparked by a pyrotechnics show in a Perm nightclub killed 148 people on Dec. 5, with the two latest victims dying Monday night in hospitals in Moscow and Chelyabinsk.
The bill would ban the sale of all fireworks to minors and require buyers of powerful fireworks to first obtain a license, the bill’s author, Anton Belyakov, told reporters.
Establishments that violate fire safety rules, merchants that illegally sell fireworks, and people who illegally use them would face stiffer fines or prison sentences, he said.
Currently, violations of the rules for storing, transporting or using fireworks in an incident when the fireworks seriously injure or kill someone can be punished with a prison sentence of up to five years.
A company selling unlicensed fireworks can be punished with a fine of up to 20,000 rubles ($660).
Russian law divides fireworks into five categories, based on their power. Fireworks in the fourth and fifth categories, including those that explode at a height of 400 meters, are powerful enough to bring down a plane that is landing or taking off, Belyakov said.
Fireworks in the third category led to the fire in Perm and are most often at fault for fires, severe burns and injuries causing blindness and deafness, Belyakov said, citing information from the Emergency Situations Ministry.
The bill would also prohibit parents from lighting fireworks ranked category three and higher for their children.
“If you want to launch fireworks for your child, you will have to hire a professional who would guarantee the child’s safety,” Belyakov said.
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