Fireworks injuries at 424 in C. Luzon, 35% down from 2016

A reveler grimaces while being treated at a hospital after being injured in a firecracker explosion while celebrating the New Year in Manila, Philippines Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. Despite the total ban of some firecrackers, many Filipinos welcome the New Year with fireworks allegedly to bring them good luck and to drive away evil spirits. (AP Photo/Linus Escandor II)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Fireworks-related injuries reported in Central Luzon climbed from 130 on Jan. 1 to 424 on Wednesday (Jan. 4), the Department of Health (DOH) said.

The 424 cases represented a 35 percent reduction from the 654 cases recorded from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan. 4, 2016, the DOH’s Central Luzon Regional Epidemiology and Surveilance Unit said.

Many of them were males. A total of 304 victims were young people aged one to 20 years old.

Hospitals treated 392 victims for blast burns, 26 suffered eye injuries while three others lost fingers or hands.

At least 122 of those injured were from Bulacan, 104 in Pampanga, 62 in Tarlac, 55 in Zambales, 46 in Bataan, 34 in Nueva Ecija and one in Aurora.  SFM