Firecrackers injure 92 people in Central Luzon, 2 in Cordillera

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Firecrackers have injured 92 people in Central Luzon in the run-up to Sunday, New Year’s Day.

The number of patients was lower by 37 percent when compared to the 146 victims recorded from Dec. 21 to 29 in 2015, according to the Central Luzon Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu) of the Department of Health on Friday.

The youngest victim was two years old.

Most of the injured patients were men. Bulacan and Zambales topped the provinces with blast burn injuries. Six of the victims suffered eye injuries.

At least 70 of the victims were injured by “piccolo,” sticks filled with gunpowder that are ignited by rubbing their phosphorus-tipped ends against a rough surface. The piccolo is among the firecrackers banned in the country.

Dr. Jessie Fantone, Resu head, urged revelers to instead watch community fireworks display in their village. He reminded parents that children are forbidden from playing with all types of fireworks.

In the Cordillera, two firecracker cases were reported in Abra from Dec. 21 to 30, representing a 91-percent drop from the 23 firecracker injuries recorded there for the same period in 2015, according to the DOH. The 8-year-old boy and the 21-year-old man were treated for burns caused by improvised cannons called “boga.”