MPD says over P500,000 worth of illegal firecrackers seized amid citywide crackdown
The Manila Police District said it has confiscated more than five hundred thousand pesos worth of illegal firecrackers as part of its ongoing enforcement campaign, following a fatal firecracker incident in Tondo, Manila that killed a 12-year-old boy and injured another minor.
MPD said the citywide confiscation efforts are part of a sustained operation against illegal fireworks, particularly ahead of the New Year celebrations.
The statement came after an incident on Sunday night, Dec. 28, at the corner of Lorenzo Street and Abad Santos Avenue, where two minors reportedly picked up discarded firecrackers from the street.
The deceased victim, a Grade 5 student from Almeda Street, sustained fatal injuries.
MPD said the incident highlights the risks posed by illegal and unattended firecrackers, especially to children.
Police personnel from MPD Station 7, the District Explosive and K9 Unit, and MPD forensic teams responded to the scene and conducted a post-blast investigation. Authorities said the case remains under review pending the results of the autopsy and forensic examination.
The MPD reiterated its call for parents and guardians to closely supervise children and to refrain from the use of illegal fireworks, stressing that pyrotechnics pose serious threats to public safety.