Police on Chios seize rocket stash ahead of traditional Easter celebrations

[Handout/Hellenic Police]

Authorities connected Chios said Thursday they person seized hundreds of home-made fireworks used successful the traditional Orthodox Easter “rocket-war” celebrations for which the eastbound Aegean Sea land has go internationally famous.

A constabulary statement said astir 500 rockets were recovered stored successful an abandoned gathering adjacent the village of Vrontados connected eastbound Chios, where each Easter Saturday nighttime ample quantities are fired from opposing points astatine religion towers.

The seizures were made during a targeted cognition that has already seen respective rocket stashes recovered and confiscated so acold this year.

The spectacular Easter customized involves youths from two rival parishes successful Vrontados mounting up camps connected elevated positions and aiming rows of rockets astatine religion towers, which person been boarded up successful beforehand arsenic person different adjacent buildings.

They use homemade fireworks consisting of gunpowder-filled tubes attached to sticks that are fired from prepared, tilted bases.