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NYE blaze: 1067 cars torched in France

As South Africans revellers welcomed the new year, French youths chose to torch their cars. The French government revealed that 1067 cars were set ablaze on New Years eve 2013.

PARIS, France - The much lamented tradition of torching cars to mark the arrival of the New Year claimed over 1000 vehicles in France.

French interior minister, Manuel Valls, reports that 1067 vehicles were destroyed by arson on New Year's eve 2013.

'42 000 - 60 000 VEHICLES TORCHED'

Valls, who mobilised 53 000 police to keep order across France on New Year's eve 2013, was pleased to announce that the figure represented a drop of 126 compared to the 2012 total of 1193 vehicles torched.

Valls revealed that figures provided by officials indicate that approximately 42000 – 60 000 vehicles are intentionally torched in France each year.

Car-torching has been adopted as a New Year tradition by some revellers in France. According to Valls, the practice began amongst youths in the 1990s in Strasbourg.

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