At least 20 persons, mostly minors, were injured by firecrackers during the New Year revelries in Negros Occidental.
Based on the report of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, the victims, with seven years old as the youngest and 60 as the oldest, suffered injuries outside the designated firecracker zones from December 24 to January 1.
In the report, most of the firecracker-related incidents were reported in Talisay City with five, followed by the cities of Silay and Cadiz, and Candoni town with two cases each.
Other localities with firecracker-related incidents were in San Carlos City, Escalante City, Bago City, EB Magalona, San Enrique, and Pontevedra, with one each.
Bacolod City also reported three firecracker-related injuries.
No indiscriminate firing was reported by the police.
Meanwhile, the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital reported that 14 patients were treated in their facility due to firecracker-related injuries.*