FILE / AFP
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—At least 12 people in the Ilocos region have been injured in separate fireworks-related incidents so far this holiday season, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday, Dec. 29.
The DOH said that the incidents occurred between Dec. 21 and 28 in the provinces of Pangasinan (9 injuries), La Union (2), and Ilocos Sur (1).
The youngest victim was four years old, while the oldest was 33, according to a statement from the DOH.
More than half of the injuries were caused by an improvised cannon, or “boga,” while the others were caused by a skyrocket firecracker, or “kwitis,” the DOH added.
It was earlier reported by the DOH that one of the victims had a body-part “amputation” after a firework blast, while the others suffered from burns and sustained eye injuries.
As residents prepare to celebrate the coming of the New Year, DOH regional director Paula Paz Sydiongco urged the public to “stay away from any kind of fireworks” and use alternative noisemakers instead.
Sydiongco urged the public to seek medical attention if they were injured by a firework this holiday season.
During the holiday season in 2021, the regional DOH reported at least 67 fireworks-related injury cases from Dec. 21, 2021 to Jan. 6, 2022, which was 19.6 percent higher than the number of cases reported during the same period in 2020.
Pangasinan had the highest number of incidents with 40.59 percent, followed by La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte. The most commonly affected age group then was 10–14 years old.
The regional DOH said that that quarter of the total number of incidents happened under the influence of liquor.
Kwitis and boga caused the most injuries in the region last year, with 14 and 9 cases, respectively. INQ
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