Firecracker injuries surpass 700

LESSON LEARNED A resident who sustained an eye injury caused by a firecracker is treated at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center also in Manila. —RICHARD REYES/MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said the number of firecracker-related injuries reported since Dec. 22 has surpassed 700.

In a statement, the DOH said 704 cases were reported by 46 out of 62 hospitals as of 6 a.m. Friday.

The number includes additional 112 injuries that occurred on New Year’s Eve and 54 more on New Year’s Day. The 704 cases are 16.9 percent higher than the 602 reported as of Jan. 3 last year.

READ: Firecracker injury rise shows lessons never learned

Of the victims, 412 are age 19 and below and 583 are male. Meanwhile, the DOH also said road traffic incidents since Dec. 22 now total 606 cases, including 29 new cases reported on Friday.

There were seven fatalities, including four involving motorcycles. Of the 606 injured, 115 were under the influence of alcohol, 527 were not using safety accessories and 433 figured in motorcycle accidents.

The new total is 31 percent higher than the cases reported in 2024. The DOH is expected to collect data on injuries from firecracker and road traffic accidents until Jan. 6, when its “Code White” alert for the holiday season ends. —JEROME ANING