17 hurt in Christmas Eve’cracker blasts

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) reported that 17 people were injured while using firecrackers to celebrate Christmas Eve, with piccolo, a banned firecracker designed for children, as the leading cause of injuries.

As of 6 a.m. yesterday, the DOH’s “Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction 2015” showed that 17 individuals were injured from firecracker blasts on Christmas Eve. 

This brings to 25 the total number of injuries since the surveillance started on Dec. 21.

The DOH said that 21 of the 25 injured people were victims of piccolo, a seemingly harmless firecracker that looks like a match stick. 

Earlier, DOH Secretary Janette Garin had called on local government units and the police to strictly enforce the ban on the sale of piccolo. 

She also urged parents to make sure that their children do not use firecrackers and any form of pyrotechnics. 

Garin noted that without piccolo, there would be a significant reduction in firecracker injuries.

Records showed the ages of the victims were 6 to 44 and 24 of them were “active igniters.” A total of 23 of them sustained hand injures, two had eye and one had face injuries.

Region 5 accounted for nine cases.

The data is based on reports submitted by 50 sentinel hospitals across the country.