The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said it is still verifying police reports that four persons died from fireworks related incidents (FWRI) during the New Year’s Day revelries.
The DOH also reported that 114 new fireworks-related cases were recorded during the 24-hour period ending on 6 a.m. January 3, 2024.
“The reports of the PNP are always subject to validation/confirmation by the DOH for purposes of epidemiology. We strictly adhere to standards for our comparable data,” the agency said.
As of Tuesday, the DOH had confirmed only one death due to stray bullet.
The DOH also said the youngest victim was now a 10-month old baby boy in Metro Manila whose right eye was injured when a family member lit a firework at home.
The oldest on record was a 77-year old man from the Ilocos Region who suffered burns caused by a whistle bomb.
“Household use of fireworks is a risk not only to yourself but also to your family,” Health Secretary Herbosa warned. “Our data further strengthens this observation.” he added.
The 114 new cases were all injuries due to fireworks.
The victims were aged 10 months to 77-year old with nearly nine out of ten of them being males.
One hundred eleven or 97 percent of the new cases occurred at home and in the streets, more than 50 percent of which were due to “legal fireworks.”
Ten victims were hospitalized for their injuries.
The DOH chief urged the public to think twice before lighting a firework for their own personal safety as well as for their loved ones.
As the holiday season draws to a close, the DOH said it continues to gather pertinent data on fireworks-related incidents which could be used to formulate safety measures for future holiday celebrations.
So far, the DOH has logged 557 injuries overall, including one case of Watusi ingestion, and one case of injury by a stray bullet.
Most of the cases took place in Metro Manila, followed by the Ilocos Region with 55.1 percent, Central Luzon with 42.8 percent, and CALABARZON WITH 39.7 percent, the DOH records showed.
Ninety seven percent reportedly happened at home and in the streets, mostly involving males.