MANILA: Injuries from firecrackers and gunfire during the New Year revelry in the Philippines dropped to the lowest in five years with 351 people injured, but a huge fire believed to have been ignited by firecrackers has left thousands of poor people homeless in metropolitan Manila.
Village officer Noel Cariño said the fire, apparently sparked by firecrackers set off by children, erupted after dawn and was spread quickly by strong winds through nearly a kilometer-long row of shanties in a village in suburban Quezon city. Firefighters struggled to get near the burning shanties because of narrow alleys.
“It’s really a tragic way to welcome the New Year,” Cariño said.
Residents struggled to save anything they could from the fire, including pet cats and dogs, with many using improvised floating devices to cross a murky river to escape from the fire.
Firefighters said hundreds of small shanties were destroyed, displacing thousands of poor families.
Bureau of Fire Protection spokesman Renato Marcial told ABS-CBN TV network that at least 14 fires were reported across the country as Filipinos ushered in 2015 with raucous parties.
At least seven people perished in two of the fires, Marcial said, adding some of the fires were thought to have been caused by firecrackers.
Amputations
Health Secretary Janette Garin said most of the injuries in the last few days of 2014 were caused by fireworks, while three were hit by stray bullets. More than a dozen required amputations including a five-year-old boy, who lost his hand.
Garin said the health department’s campaign against indiscriminate fireworks and the passage of tropical storm Jiangmi, which brought heavy rains to the central and southern islands, had brought down the injury toll.
She said the department would continue to monitor hospitals for more injuries or deaths that might be reported later.
Authorities have repeatedly warned against the custom of welcoming the New Year with indiscriminate fireworks and celebratory gunfire, which result in numerous injuries and fatalities every year.
In the previous year’s celebrations, at least two people were killed and 793 others were left injured.
Village officer Noel Cariño said the fire, apparently sparked by firecrackers set off by children, erupted after dawn and was spread quickly by strong winds through nearly a kilometer-long row of shanties in a village in suburban Quezon city. Firefighters struggled to get near the burning shanties because of narrow alleys.
“It’s really a tragic way to welcome the New Year,” Cariño said.
Residents struggled to save anything they could from the fire, including pet cats and dogs, with many using improvised floating devices to cross a murky river to escape from the fire.
Firefighters said hundreds of small shanties were destroyed, displacing thousands of poor families.
Bureau of Fire Protection spokesman Renato Marcial told ABS-CBN TV network that at least 14 fires were reported across the country as Filipinos ushered in 2015 with raucous parties.
At least seven people perished in two of the fires, Marcial said, adding some of the fires were thought to have been caused by firecrackers.
Amputations
Health Secretary Janette Garin said most of the injuries in the last few days of 2014 were caused by fireworks, while three were hit by stray bullets. More than a dozen required amputations including a five-year-old boy, who lost his hand.
Garin said the health department’s campaign against indiscriminate fireworks and the passage of tropical storm Jiangmi, which brought heavy rains to the central and southern islands, had brought down the injury toll.
She said the department would continue to monitor hospitals for more injuries or deaths that might be reported later.
Authorities have repeatedly warned against the custom of welcoming the New Year with indiscriminate fireworks and celebratory gunfire, which result in numerous injuries and fatalities every year.
In the previous year’s celebrations, at least two people were killed and 793 others were left injured.
Post a Comment