Firecracker injuries near 600 but down 40%

MANILA, Philippines - The number of firecracker-related injuries during the New Year revelries jumped to 593 on Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

In an interview over radio dzMM, DOH Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan said 580 firecracker injuries, 10 stray bullet cases and three cases of firecracker ingestion have been recorded as of this morning.

Punzalan said the total number of injuries was 40 percent lower than the figure recorded in welcoming 2014. It was also 36 percent lower than the average number of injuries per year from 2009 to 2013.

Piccolo still accounted for most cause of the injuries, Punzalan said.

The DOH said on Thursday that the number of piccolo injuries decreased from 70 percent on December 30 to 48 percent on New Year's Eve.

The agency had welcomed the lower number of firecracker injuries recorded so far, believing that Filipinos had been heeding the government's call against firecracker use.

"Mas maraming Pilipino ang nakonsensya ngayon, at sila ay nagdesisyon pabor sa kanilang kaligtasan," acting DOH Secretary Janette Garin said on Thursday.

The DOH also warned on picking up unexploded firecrackers after the New Year revelries.