The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday reported that the total number of firework-related injuries (FWRIs) in 2025 could be fewer than that of 2024, but the injuries of the victims, mostly minors, were more serious.
Health spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said that the number of FWRIs might exceed 500, depending on the validation of over 300 additional cases on top of the 235 reported as of January 1.
He said that even if the estimated count of injuries reaches around 500, it would still represent a decrease from the 803 FWRIs recorded in 2024.
While the overall number of cases is lower, the injuries experienced by the victims have been more severe this year.
The DOH categorizes FWRI victims into specific classifications: those who have been burned without amputation and those who have been burned with amputation. It includes individuals who have sustained eye injuries and those who have experienced lung damage due to exposure to firecrackers or fireworks.
“It’s consistent that most of the victims were minors,” Domingo said in a DZBB radio interview.
On December 28, a 12-year-old boy died instantly due to an explosion caused by firecrackers in Tondo, Manila.
