476 injured by firecrackers, stray bullets

Health Secretary Enrique Ona

MANILA, Philippines—A total of 476 people, many of them children, were injured by firecrackers and stray bullets during the Philippines’ long observance of the Yuletide Season, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said Sunday.

Injured revelers filled hospital emergency rooms in Metro Manila after midnight. Adding to the chaos, two gangs clashed in front of Manila’s main government hospital attending to the injured, leaving one man dead from a gunshot wound.

Firecrackers ignited at least three fires that destroyed several houses in the capital area.

Dark smog

At the same time, about a dozen plane flights, including two from the United States, were diverted or canceled early Sunday after dark smog caused by a night of firecracker explosions obscured visibility at Manila’s airport, officials said.

The number of injuries declined by 13 percent compared to last year’s 546 cases but Ona acknowledged the figures were not yet final.

From 2006 to 2010, an annual average of 536 cases had been reported. The Department of Health was expecting a 30 to 50 percent drop in injuries amid a government scare campaign against reckless holiday revelries.

Speaking at a press conference at the DOH headquarters in Manila, Ona said that 454 of the cases were fireworks-related, 18 were due to celebratory gunfire, while four were caused by fireworks ingestion.

Kids as victims

Most victims were males at 364 cases or 80 percent and 177 were children from as young as one year old to 10, data from the DOH showed.

A total of 129 cases or 27 percent involved revelers aged 11 to 20 years old.

“Again, it seems our appeal to mothers to keep their children away from firecrackers wasn’t effective,” Ona told a news conference.

Most incidents occurred in populous Metro Manila with 298 victims, accounting for 66 percent of cases throughout the country. The nearby Calabarzon region followed with 29 victims and Region I which had 28 victims.

Most victims of stray bullets were also from Metro Manila, registering 12 cases or 67 percent of all monitored incidents.

The DOH said that more active users were injured with 247 cases or 54 percent than bystanders hit by exploding fireworks (207 or 46 percent).

Majority of the injuries involved minor burns, blasts and cuts at 358 cases or 79 percent, the report added. Eye burns, abrasions, and lacerations had 69 cases or 15 percent.

A total of  26 cases required amputations and disarticulations.

Illegal firecrackers

Like in the past years, the illegal “piccolo” was still cited as the top injury-causing firecracker, with 150 victims or 33 percent.

“Piccolo” was followed by the “kwitis” which injured 74 or 16 percent, the “fountain” which had 31 victims or7 percent, the “five star” which caused 24 injuries or 5 percent, and “luces” which like the “five star” victimized 24 persons or 5 percent.

Ona said that although their data only came only from 50 sentinel hospitals nationwide, the health department believed they were close to the actual number of injuries.

Think thrice

All of the fingers on farmer Alvin Barroga’s right hand were injured by a firecracker that exploded prematurely in northern Isabela province. He writhed in pain as a doctor treated his wounds in a hospital.

“I’ll think thrice before lighting one again,” he said.

Ona said a pregnant woman was taken in for surgery on her bladder after she was hit by a stray bullet, although both mother and child were safe.

“I saw one child whose eyes were hit by firecrackers. He might end up having an early cataract, these are the types of injuries leading to disabilities with major economic value reduction,” Ona said.

Two hospitals reported that among those injured were two children whose hands were so badly injured that they might had to be amputated.

Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year’s celebrations drive away evil and misfortune. But they have carried that superstition to extremes, exploding huge firecrackers and firing guns to welcome the new year despite threats of arrest.

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said at least 65 people were arrested for using illegally large firecrackers.

Thirteen were arrested for indiscriminate firing of guns, Ona said.

Total ban

The DOH chief said he was willing to consider a proposal for a total ban on firecrackers but that it needed to be studied. Robredo said minors should be prohibited from exploding firecrackers and penalties for using illegal ones, usually a fine or up to a year in prison, should be increased.

Dozens of hospitals nationwide went on full alert before midnight, their emergency rooms staffed with trauma doctors as if preparing for civil strife. Many people spent the night in hotels for added safety.

Health officials attempted to discourage dangerous celebrations by showing gory pictures of injuries, including hands mangled by firecracker blasts, and the national police chief threatened his men with dismissal if they fired their guns in revelry, but the violent tradition has continued. With reports from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse

Originally posted at 12:36 pm | Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012