The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office revealed that Talisay City and La Castellana town each reported five firecracker-related injuries, followed by Cadiz City and Hinigaran town with four cases each. Silay City and Moises Padilla town, had two injuries while Kabankalan City reported only one.
The ages of the injured minors were between three and 15 years old.
A nine-year-old boy got injured while lighting a sparkler at his parent’s home at around 10:50 p.m on Tuesday. A three-year-old boy, on the other hand, was hit by fragments of an exploding firecracker which came from one of his cousins a day before New Year’s Eve.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) reported three cases of firecracker injuries, which involved two minors.
The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital reported admitting 12 firecracker-related-injured patients and provided immediate care from Tuesday until the dawn of Wednesday.
Despite the gruesome reports from the injured Negrenses, the annual celebration of the New Year in the province had been peaceful, according to Lt. Col. Edison Garcia, public information officer of NOCPPO.
He also emphasized the zero deaths related to the New Year celebration and zero reports of indiscriminate firing by a police officer.
On the other hand, Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, public information officer of BCPO also shared the same impressive reports from the Bacolodnons.
“This can be attributed to the continuous police visibility operations, information dissemination on the use of prohibited firecrackers, crime prevention campaigns, and use of social media in reaching out to the public,” he added. (RJ Espartinez)