Revelries wound 57 people in CV

CEBU, Philippines - The rains failed to stop people from welcoming the year 2010 with a bang, but the revelry resulted to injuries of 19 people, bringing the total number of wounded persons in Central Visayas to 57 since the celebration of Christmas.

Overall, the Department of Health-7 said the 57 reported injuries were from nine hospitals in the region – a total of 46 in Cebu, five in Bohol and six in Negros Oriental. Health officials commend Siquijor for zero report of injuries.

The DOH records also show that the celebration of the Yuletide claimed the lives of four people, three from the Mandaue City firecracker blast last December 24 and one lantaka-related casualty in Talisay where the victim was a six-year-old boy.

The Mandaue fatalities were identified as Akmad Villacorta, 7; Osama Renabatan, 8 and pregnant woman Minombao Bulao who were killed when the stalls that sell firecrackers located near the sports complex caught fire just a few hours before Christmas.

The incident was caused by a stray firecracker that burned in an instant over 50 stalls in Barangay Centro killing three and hurting six others while leaving over P100,000 worth of damages to property.

 On the other hand, six-year-old Yuri Menguito of Tangke, Talisay died on December 27 after suffering burns in his heart and lungs. The boy reportedly inhaled the toxic gases from an accidentally fired lantaka he was playing with the day before he died.

DOH-7 Regional Director Susana K. Madarieta said that the number of firecracker related injuries in 2009 was almost the same as the previous year where there was a recorded 58 injuries related to firecrackers.

“Pareha ang number compared to last year but less serious ang cases, however, what worries me are the five stray bullets, although not fatal, still naa gihapon nag-fire sa ila guns,” Madarieta said. There were only three cases of stray bullets last year.

The increase in the number of stray-bullet related injuries alarmed health officials and might prompt DOH to focus its campaign against indiscriminate firing during Christmas and New Year festivities next year, Madarieta added.

Initial reports received by DOH from hospitals show that common types of firecracker that injured most of the victims are triangle, whistle bomb and kwitis.

Madarieta added that most of the victims were children 18 years old and below. Four were under the influence of alcohol.

Generally, however, Region 7 was able to maintain low number of victims compared to previous years when the count reaches more than a hundred. On 2005, there were 177 firecracker related injuries, 118 in 2006 and 108 in 2007.

Madarieta said that the decrease implies that DOH’s intensive campaign, the Oplan Iwas Paputok, might have been successful as they tried to instill scare among the public. Yet other reason such as financial crisis may also have been a contributing factor, she added.

14 Injured in Mandaue City

Meanwhile, the Mandaue City Hospital has reported a total 14 injuries due to firecrackers and lantaka blasts during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Data eight of the victims were minors.

On the eve of Christmas, four minors were already brought to the city hospital and all of them were allegedly just watching their neighbors lit the firecrackers. Among them is an 11-year-old boy from Barangay Ibo, Lapu-Lapu City who suffered first degree blast burns in the head.

 Another victim is a 14-year-old boy from Barangay Casili, Mandaue City who suffered abrasions on the left leg, and the third victim was a 10-year-old boy from Barangay Cambaro of the same city who suffered first degree burns on his left arm while the fourth victim was a seven-year-old boy from Barangay Tipolo who suffered first degree burns in his right arm.

  On December 24, Rachel Almeda, 24, also sustained an abrasion after she was hit by a firecracker while she was walking along the road in Barangay Alang-Alang while Ibrahim Mosmera of Barangay Humay-Humay, Lapu-Lapu City was also brought to the Mandaue City Hospital after he suffered second degree burns when he was hit by a lantaka, and was later referred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

 On the same day, Thelma Laxsaman suffered first degree burns on her left feet while his cousin Soli-ari Laxsaman also sustained bruises on his lower extremities after both were hit by firecrackers while they were standing on a street in Barangay Mantuyong.

 Last December 25, Adriano Cañete, 40, of Barangay Paknaan sustained a lacerated wound on his left hand when he lit a firecracker.

On December 26, a nine-year-old boy from Barangay Mantuyong also suffered an amputation on his right hand after a firecracker exploded while he was still holding it and on December 29, another nine-year-old from Barangay Looc, suffered second degree burns due to the firecracker blast and was advised to be transferred to a hospital in Cebu City due to the severity of his injury.

 Even with the confiscation of a total of 70 lantakas by the Mandaue City Police Office last December 30, the hospitals still reported two victims of these improvised explosive device. Of them was hit by a sardines can inserted inside a lantaka while the other sustained a cut when the blast hit him on the head in Barangay Mantuyong last December 31.

 On January 1 at 7 a.m., Pablito Alfeche, 58, of Barangay Subangdaku was also brought to the hospital after he was hit by a lantaka on the forehead. At 11 a.m. of the same day, a four-year-old boy from Barangay Opao also suffered burns after he was hit by an unknown kind of firecracker. — With a report from Flor Z. Perolina /WAB (THE FREEMAN)