The Philippine National Police reported 20 firecrackers-related injuries in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, and 11 of them involved minors, as of Jan. 1.
There was no incident of indiscriminate firing, the police added.
The 17 firecracker-related injuries were noted in the cities of Escalante, Bago, Talisay, Silay, Cadiz, and San Carlos, and the towns of EB Magalona, Candoni, and San Enrique, and took place outside of designated firecracker zones, P/Lt. Abegael Donasco, deputy spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said.
P/Lt. Liberty Indiape, deputy spokesperson of the Bacolod City Police Office, also reported that two of the three blast victims in Bacolod are minors.
The police recorded an increase in the number of blast victims, from five in 2020, to 17 last year, in Negros Occidental. — GB
