Cebu City tops areas with cases of ’cracker injuries
CEBU City has the highest number of firecracker-related cases this year still topping all areas in Central Visayas again this year.
Rennan Cimafranca, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (RESU 7), said Cebu City has 27 cases of the 69 cases recorded as of Jan. 2 this year in Central Visayas.
According to RESU 7, cases increased by 1 in Cebu City this year compared to last year where the city posted 26 cases for the same period.
One of the firecracker blast victims in Cebu City was Dionisio Ardiente, a man in his 40s, in Lower Busay, Cebu City.
One finger of his left hand was severely damaged after a whistle bomb he held exploded.
The incident happened while he was drinking with friends last December 31 at 10 p.m.
Ardiente lighted a whistle bomb while holding another one in his other hand. Sparks from the lit whistle bomb ignited the whistle bomb in his other hand.
Chief Insp. David Señor, chief of the Police Community Relations of the Cebu City Police Office, said the police drive included confiscation of firecrackers worth P60,000 that were illegally sold in the streets from Dec. 29, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2016.
Mandaue City followed with 9 cases, which was the same number of cases last year, and Lapu-Lapu City with 6 cases.
Two boys were among the Mandaue city firecracker blast victims. The 9-year-old suffered burns on his face due to the fluid he used in his “lantaka” , an improvised cannon made of tin cans. The 3-year-old injured his fingers when he lit a piccolo.
LAPU-LAPU, MANDAUE
Alex Antigua, Mandaue City Hospital information officer, said there were less firecracker victims in the hospital this year.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Dr. Rodolfo Berame, Lapu-Lapu City Health officer, said there were six victims – four minors and 2 adults.
Berame said in Cebuano that nobody can blame then for their efforts against firecracker use, and this can be seen in the results.
Last Christmas, the city had zero firecracker victims and minimal victims in the New Year even though Lapu-Lapu city is Cebu’s capital of firecrackers and pyrotechnics.
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