MANILA (Xinhua): The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said three people were killed during the Christmas and New Year revelries, with the total number of firecracker-related injuries climbing to 771.
The DOH said that the number of injuries recorded from Dec. 22, 2024, to Jan. 4, 2025, reached 771, 27.6 percent higher than that in the same period of the previous year.
Most of the victims were teens and minors, according to the DOH data. Of the 771 injured people, 453 were 19 years old and below.
The Philippines DOH also said it has logged 577 road accidents nationwide during the holiday season, with at least six deaths.
The agency said the road accidents tallied from Dec. 22, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025, were 33.5 percent higher than that in the same period of the previous year.
The DOH said the cases involved drivers who did not use safety gear such as seatbelts and drivers under the influence of alcohol.
The agency said more than 400 crashes involved motorcycles. Four of the six deaths were from motorcycle accidents. - Xinhua
