Philippines logs 85 more firework-related injuries after New Year’s festivities
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines logged 85 more firework-related injuries (FWRI) overnight after New Year’s festivities, pushing the country’s total cases to 137 so far.
The Department of Health said it will collect data across the country from December 21, 2022 to January 6, 2023 through its online national electronic surveillance system.
It said Metro Manila has reported the most FWRIs so far with 64 cases, but the 137 cases reported nationwide is lower compared to last year’s 161 based on the current reporting period.
“Based on our comparison reports, this is lower by 15% compared with 2021 cases and this number is also lower by 46% when compared with the country’s five-year average period,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Filipino during a press conference on Sunday.
The department said 120 of the cases were already treated and sent home, while 13 individuals got hospitalized, where two have been discharged.
There were 67 individuals out of the 137 FWRI cases who got injured while watching or passing by a firework being lit up.
The DOH said majority or 107 of the injured invidividuals this year are males, mostly aged 10 to 14 years old. Most or 92 of the cases are due to blasts or burns, requiring no amputations, followed by 41 eye injuries, and six blasts or burns injuries that required amputation.
“Four of those who needed amputations got injured because of a legal firework such as the whistlebomb,” Vergeire said.
Meanwhile, a number of individuals also got injured due to illegal fireworks, such as Boga (28 cases), 5-Star (14 cases), and Super Lolo (8 cases).
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