Firecracker-related injuries rise to 40

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said eight more cases of fireworks and firecracker-related injuries were reported, bringing the number of victims to 40 so far.

Two of the new cases were reported in the Calabarzon region and one case each in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and National Capital Region.

The DOH said that the 40 cases reported so far is 49 percent lower compared to the same period last year and 74 percent lower than the five-year average.

The DOH also reported that the six-year-old boy from Tondo, Manila who ingested the contents of a firecracker on Christmas day was already discharged from the hospital.

“Update on the 2nd case of FW (fireworks ingestion) [is that] patient was discharged already by the UP- National Poison Management and Control Center,” the DOH said.

Out of the 40 victims, 35 are males.

The youngest victim is two years-old and the oldest is 69, the DOH said.

The DOH likewise warned the public to keep off illegal fireworks, namely watusi, piccolo, atomic triangle, large Judas belt, large bawang, pilibox, boga, goodbye Philippines, Bin Laden, mother rockets, lolo thunder, Coke-in-can, kwiton, atomic bomb, five-star, pla-pla, giant whistle bomb, kabasi, and other unlabeled and imported firecrackers.