Fireworks-related injuries climb to 262

MANILA, Philippines — Fifity-one additional firecracker-related injuries in the country were recorded, bringing the total to 262, according to the fireworks-related injury surveillance report released by the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday.

“These were 42 percent higher compared to 2021 with 185 cases,” the report noted.

Kwitis topped the list of firecrackers that caused injuries with 54; boga, 30; Five Star, 21; fountain, 16, and unknown fireworks, 17.

Hand injuries were the most common cases with 92 followed by eyes, 75; legs, 35; head, 34, and forearm or arm, 31. Twenty-six of the victims were hospitalized.

The DOH said 45 or 17 percent of those injured by firecrackers were found to be drunk.

Up to 208 of the victims or 80 percent are male.

Fifty-six percent or 145 of the cases occurred in the streets and 107 or 41 percent at home.

The National Capital Region recorded the highest number of firecracker-related injuries at 126 followed by Western Visayas with 31, Ilocos Region, 23 and Central Luzon, 22.

The DOH said there was no reported death or any case of fireworks ingestion.

In Ilocos, the DOH logged 78 firecracker-related injuries, an increase of 129 percent compared to 2021.

Dr. Rheuel Bobis, DOH medical officer IV, said Pangasinan logged 59 cases; La Union, 11; Ilocos Sur, seven, and Ilocos Norte, one.

In Negros Occidental, 63 fireworks-related injuries were reported.

Provincial health officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said 42.9 percent of the victims are aged one to 10.

Records at the DOH-Western Visayas office showed that Negros Occidental logged the highest number of fireworks-related injuries in the region in the past several years. – Gilbert Bayoran, Jun Elias