Man dies after firework explodes in his face in Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur map. INQUIRER FILES

LEGAZPI CITY — A 57-year-old man died after a firework that he lit exploded, hitting his face in Pamplona town in Camarines Sur on New Year’s day.

In a report on Tuesday, Jan. 2, Camarines Sur police said when the JLJ Aquino Flaming Ball (3 cylinder fireworks) malfunctioned, the victim Gerardo Sibulo tried to reignite it but exploded in Barangay (village) San Isidro at around 12 a.m. on Monday.

READ: DOH logs first fireworks-related death, stray bullet injury

Sibulo sustained injuries on his face and was taken to a hospital in Naga City but died along the way.

Lieutenant Colonel Maria Luisa Calubaquib, spokesperson of Bicol police, said in a report Tuesday that they recorded 61 firework-related injuries in the region caused by piccolo, 5-star, improvised canon, kwitis and other fireworks.

Calubaquib said they confiscated 616 improvised canon and 90 pieces of 5-star, both considered as illegal firecrackers.

In the Firework-Related Injury (FWRI) Surveillance of the Department of Health (DOH) Bicol, a total of 33 cases were reported from Dec. 21 to 31 monitoring.

DOH Bicol said some incidents were not reported in the FWRI monitoring as some hospitals were not included as sentinel sites.