Eastern Visayas’ firecracker-related injuries climb to 79

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 2 (PNA) - Holiday revelries have injured at least 79 persons in Eastern Visayas as of Saturday, slightly higher than last year which made the anti-firecracker drive successful, according to the Department of Health (DOH)

Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said all cases are minor blasts and there was no single victim of stray bullet.

Majority or 80 percent of cases were injured due to "piccolo" ignited by children below 11 years old.

“We still consider the 'Iwas Paputok' campaign successful since injuries this year were less serious than in the previous years,” he said.

Of the 79 injuries, 37 were reported in Northern Samar, 24 in Eastern Samar, 12 in Leyte, five in Samar, and one in Leyte.

The government has launched its monitoring of Christmas and New Year revelries on December 16, 2014 and will conclude on January 5, 2015. (PNA)
JBP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO