TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – Authorities intensified safety advocacy after four fireworks-related injuries were recorded this Christmas in Cagayan Valley region.
The Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) reported two cases on Christmas Day.
CVMC chief Dr. Cherry Lou Antonio said a 13-year-old boy from Tuguegarao City sustained a minor hand injury from a whistle bomb and was treated and given an anti-tetanus shot.
An eight-year-old boy, also from Tuguegarao City, suffered severe hand injuries after a whistle bomb exploded while he was holding it. Several of his fingers were amputated during surgery.
The CVMC also logged 66 road traffic injuries from Dec. 21 to 25, mostly involving males aged 19 to 59.
In Isabela, a youth was injured in the left eye after using a prohibited piccolo firecracker in San Manuel on Dec. 22.
Police Capt. Scarlette Topinio of the Isabela Provincial Police Office said police visibility and store inspections have been intensified to curb the sale of illegal firecrackers.
Kalinga province recorded its first fireworks-related injury on Dec. 22 in Rizal town, a 37-year-old man who picked up an unexploded pla-pla firecracker that detonated, severing one of his fingers.
Authorities renewed their call for the public, especially parents, to prevent minors from using illegal firecrackers to ensure a safe New Year celebration.