Firecracker-related injuries reach 534

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded over 500 firecracker-related injuries two days after the New Year’s Eve revelry.

The DOH said 194 additional cases brought the total number of firecracker injuries to 534 as recorded by 62 sentinel hospitals from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2. This was 98 percent lower than the 592 cases posted during the same period last year.

Of the total cases, 322 were aged 19 and below, while 212 were 20 years old and above. The DOH also noted that 443 of the victims were males and 91 females.

Most of the injuries were caused by kwitis followed by boga, unknown type of firecrackers, five-star and whistle bomb.

The department expects firecracker-related cases to go up until Jan. 6 since there are still those who have not yet been taken to hospitals for treatment.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa stressed that death from firecracker-related injuries is preventable.

“If one doesn’t use or light up firecrackers, death can be avoided. We will not stop until there’ll be zero death as to the use of firecrackers or fireworks,” Herbosa said.

The DOH said it would advocate for a total ban on the use of firecrackers and fireworks.

“If not, we will push for organizing community fireworks display so professionals will be the ones to take care of such,” Herbosa said, adding that the DOH is also looking at prohibiting children from using firecrackers.

The DOH is reminding those injured from firecrackers to wash the affected surface with clean, running water and proceed to the nearest hospital or health center and ask for tetanus shots.

Indiscriminate firing

At least 30 cases of indiscriminate discharge of firearms during the Yuletide season were recorded by the Philippine National Police (PNP), which led to the arrest of 24 people, including a member of the military.

In its latest Ligtas Paskuhan report released yesterday, the PNP said three new cases were documented, one in Metro Manila and two in Cagayan Valley.

The suspects, including a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), were arrested. The PNP did not disclose other information about the latest cases.

Twenty-four people have so far been arrested for indiscriminately firing their handguns while seven others remain at large. Seventeen firearms were confiscated from the suspects.

Of the people arrested, nine were from Calabarzon and four from Metro Manila. Three of those arrested were from Western Visayas, two each in Cagayan Valley and Northern Mindanao, and one each in Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Apart from the AFP member, two of the perpetrators were police officers and one from the Bureau of Corrections. The rest are civilians.

Meanwhile, five people were injured, three in Metro Manila and one each in Calabarzon and the Cordilleras.

For stray bullet incidents, the PNP recorded 14 cases, six of which occurred in Metro Manila followed by three in Zamboanga Peninsula, and one each in Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao and the Cordilleras. Eight people were injured, two each in Metro Manila and Zamboanga Peninsula, and one each in Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Davao and the Cordilleras.

At least 822 people suffered firecracker-related injuries nationwide. The PNP also reported two more deaths due to firecrackers, one each in Ilocos and Central Visayas.

The PNP earlier reported that a man from Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija died as a result of a firecracker blast last Dec. 22.

Police confiscated 600,130 illegal firecrackers valued at P4.04 million while 83 people were arrested, with 42 in Calabarzon, 17 in Eastern Visayas, 10 in Metro Manila, six in Zamboanga Peninsula, five in Central Luzon, two in Bicol and one in Ilocos.

Victims of firecrackers during the Holiday revelry in the highland region climbed to 25, with 11 more cases reported as of Jan. 1, the health department noted.

Abra province recorded the highest number of FWRI cases with eight, followed by Baguio City with five, while Apayao, Benguet and Kalinga with three cases each. Mountain Province recorded two cases and Ifugao had one case. According to the DOH-CAR, the age of the victims ranged from four to 54.

In Pangasinan, 101 cases of fireworks-related injuries were recorded by the Provincial Health Office from Dec.21 up to yesterday. The figure was 31 percent lower than last year’s comparable period.

In Quezon, 20 firecracker-related injuries were recorded, according to data collected by the Quezon Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit from Dec. 21, 2024 to Jan. 1 this year. –Emmanuel Tupas, Artemio Dumlao, Michelle Zoleta, Cesar Ramirez