DOH: 1 dead due to stray bullet; firecracker-related injuries now 771

The Department of Health headquarters in Sta. Cruz, Manila. — INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A 19-year-old man in Davao del Norte died due to a stray bullet during the holiday festivities, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH also reported that the number of firecracker-related injuries rose to 771.

READ: Tally of firecracker injuries rises to 704 on Jan 3 – DOH

In an update released on Saturday, the health department said it monitored these cases from December 22, 2024 to January 4, 2025, 27.6 percent higher than the 604 cases monitored in the same period last year.

The number of casualties increased from two to three.

The age of 453 victims ranged from 19 years and below, while the age of 318 others were 20 years and above.

Most of the victims were men at 639, while women were 139.

The DOH said most of the injuries were caused by illegal firecrackers such as kwitis, 5-star, and boga.

The agency earlier reported that cases of firecracker-related injuries are expected to increase until the end of its monitoring period on January 6.

It pointed out that patients with minor or small wounds only turn up a week later, seeking medical assistance.