Few firecracker injuries, peaceful

Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said the Christmas celebration was generally peaceful and they have recorded fewer cases of indiscriminate firing and firecracker incidents regionwide. | Nestle Semilla

The Department of Health (DOH)-7 has recorded a total of 14 fireworks-related injuries from both private and public hospitals in Cebu on Christmas day.

According to Dr. Shelbay Blanco, Health Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) coordinator of DOH-7, the tally was updated as of 12 noon yesterday, December 26.

The victims’ ages range from seven to 43 years old, with 10 males and four females.

Of the 14 incidents recorded, four were from Lapu-Lapu City, four from Cebu City, and two from Cordova town.

One firecracker-related injury was each recorded in the cities of Mandaue and Talisay and in the towns of Minglanilla and Consolacion.

While 12 of the victims only suffered minor burns, the other two cases resulted to the amputation of the victims’ fingers.

Most of the victims used the firecracker piccolo, indie bomb, kwitis, triangle, hotdog and labintador.

“Out of 14 victims, 8 of them were only passive while 6 were active in using firecrackers” said Dr. Blanco.

Two victims were under the influence of alcohol while most of the incidents took place at home.

Unlike Cebu, there were no firecracker-related injuries in the provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor on Christmas day.

Despite the number of firecracker injuries in Cebu, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, said that the celebration of Christmas in the region was generally peaceful.

“There were no major incidents that happened,” said Sinas in a press briefing yesterday.

However, Sinas said that there was a victim of indiscriminate firing in Calape town, Bohol.

A barangay tanod reportedly accidentally shot his daughter when his firearm slipped from his side pocket.

Other than the incident in Bohol, Sinas said that there were no other untoward incidents that happened from Christmas eve till Christmas day this year.