25 kids, 3 adults hurt by firecrackers in Pangasinan
DAGUPAN CITY — Twenty eight people, most of them children, have been treated for burns caused by firecrackers in Pangasinan province, according to Dr. Anna Maria Theresa de Guzman, provincial health officer.
As of 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, hospitals treated 25 patients, aged 4 to 9 years old. All but 1 of the 28 victims were male, de Guzman said in a text message.
She said the hands of 19 patients suffered burns, 3 were treated for leg injuries, 2 were hurt in the chest, 2 had to be treated for burns to the eyes and 2 were patched up for injuries to their foreheads.
The right thumb of an 18-year-old patient had to be amputated, after being hit by pla-pla, a triangle-shaped firecracker that is banned in the country.
De Guzman said most of the victims were playing with illegal firecrackers.
The number of cases recorded so far was 34 percent lower than the 43 cases recorded in the same period in 2015. CDG
