Christmas mishaps: 1 dead, several hurt in crash, cracker blasts

CEBU CITY—Nine persons, including a month-old baby, were hurt by firecracker blasts during the Christmas Eve revelry in Central Visayas.

In Cebu province, one person was killed while nine were brought to the hospital after they figured in a vehicular accident while heading to church to attend the traditional Misa de Aguinaldo.

According to Rennan Cimafranca of the regional epidemiology surveillance unit of Department of Health in Central Visayas, most of the victims suffered minor burns and were not confined to hospitals.

Except for a 3-year-old girl who was accidentally hit by a firecracker on Dec. 23 in Amlan town, Negros Oriental, the rest of the incidents happened between Thursday night and Friday dawn during the revelry to welcome Christmas.

One of the victims was a 1-month-and-9-day-old infant who suffered a first-degree burn on the face after being hit by splinters of firecrackers.

A 41-year-old man, who was drunk, also suffered burns in the hand where a whistle bomb exploded.

Of the nine victims, four were from Cebu City, two each from the cities of Mandaue and Talisay and one from Amlan.

There was no reported victim of indiscriminate firing.

Supt. Romeo Santander, Cebu City intelligence chief, said the Christmas celebration was peaceful in the capital city.

In Cebu province, at least 10 persons were hurt after they figured in a vehicular accident on Christmas Eve.

Most of the victims were on board separate motorcycles and were heading to church to attend the Christmas Eve Mass.

According to the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation, one of the victims died at the South General Hospital in Naga City, Cebu.

The victim was driving a motorcycle on their way to Talisay City from Barili town when the vehicle crashed in Naga City.

The name of the fatality was not available but his sister, Emma Cabajosa was also hurt and was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for treatment.