Tonga Police received 14 complaints about fireworks disrupting New Year’s Eve church services, despite prior efforts to minimize their impact.
Deputy Police Commissioner Halatoa Taufa told Tonga Broadcasting that officers had coordinated with town and district officers to ensure the safety of church services. However, some services were still disturbed by late-night fireworks.
“The complaints we received indicated that church services were affected by the fireworks displays during the night,” Taufa said.
A 10pm curfew on fireworks was in place, and special permits were issued for organized displays. Despite these measures, the disturbances led to concerns about enforcement.
Taufa added that police will review firework regulations and make improvements to prevent similar disruptions in the future.