Wednesday, January 03, 2007 DOH notes decrease of firecrackers-related injuries
AT LEAST 94 persons spent part of the Christmas and New Year holidays getting treated for firecracker injuries in Central Visayas, police said.
That’s down from 179 firecracker injuries in 2005.
The Department of Health reported a slightly higher number of firecracker-related incidents, but the same downward trend.
Despite two fires and five injuries blamed on stray bullets, authorities declared the holidays peaceful overall in Cebu.
There were no fatalities and the number of firecracker-related injuries dropped to 104 from last year’s 118 injuries in Central Visayas, or a reduction of 11 percent, the health department said.
The Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (Resu) reported these figures, using reports from hospitals all over Region 7.
Majority of the incidents came from Cebu Province, with only six injuries reported from the provinces of Bohol and Negros.
At the Cebu City Medical Center, 27 people were treated for firecracker-related injuries during the New Year celebration.
The youngest victim was a four-year-old boy, who suffered burn injuries in the stomach after a firecracker exploded while he held it. He reportedly picked up the firecracker after it failed to explode.
Santos Cabulao, 63, landed at the city hospital when a reveler threw a baby dynamite on his right foot.
Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr. of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 described the celebration of the Christmas and New Year holidays as “very good.”
However, he admitted there were five persons injured by stray bullets throughout the region, three of them from Cebu Province. None of the injuries were serious, though.
In Cebu City, except for minor incidents, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau Chief Pablo Labra II said the Christmas and New Year celebrations were peaceful.
There were no cases of reported indiscriminate firing involving police personnel, he added.
Like the police, the Resu reported five victims of stray bullets this year, with four confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and one at the Toledo District Hospital.
Only three such victims were reported by the DOH last year.
What a blast
In Danao City, Araceli Abucay Libre, 42, of Barangay Tuburan Sur, was hit in her left hand and was taken to the Danao City District Hospital.
In Barangay Canda-bong, Alcantara town, Teofila Pardo, 40, was wounded around 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day. A third victim reportedly got hit in Barangay Polpogan, Consolacion.
Police have yet to confirm the identity of the third victim.
In Lapu-Lapu City, where two licensed firecracker manufacturers operate, there were 11 reported firecracker injuries from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.
All the victims are male. No one is in critical condition.
In nearby Mandaue City, eight persons suffered injuries related to firecrackers, while celebrating the New Year.
Mandaue City Hospital chief Dominga Obenza said that of the eight who were treated at the hospital, two were admitted for second-degree burns.
Despite that, Mandaue City Police Director Alexander Abadinas said the celebrations in the city were generally peaceful.
2 fires
Last Sunday, fire broke out at the Balamban Public Market near the reclamation area at 11:20 a.m., after a firecracker vendor lit a firecracker (kwitis) inside his stall.
The firecracker shot up to the ceiling, hit something and landed on the other firecrackers on display.
This caused an explosion and flames that quickly spread to the other stalls.
When the smoke cleared, the fire had razed 12 stalls.
Damage was placed at P200,000. There were no reported injuries.
A noontime fire hit four establishments in Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Talamban, Cebu City yesterday, the first major incident to hit this year.
The Bureau of Fire Protection in Cebu City received the call for help at 12:04 p.m.
The fire destroyed four establishments—Cherrycel’s Pharmacy, Cherry’s Bakeshop, Cherry’s Lechon Manok and Cherry’s General Merchandise—all owned by Celso Belotindos. A portion of his house located near the establishments was damaged.
Fire Marshal Esmael Codilla declared the fire under control six minutes later and initially pegged the damage at P400,000.
Baker Allan Marter told investigators he saw embers come out from their oven. Some of the embers fell on the used oil placed nearby, while the others shot up to the ceiling and sparled the fire.
Belotindos complained that the firefighters were late in responding to the alarm. Codilla, when sought for comment, vowed to look into the complaint, but said initial information suggested that personnel from the Talamban fire substation arrived promptly. (MEA/JGA/JST/OCP/AAG)
