At least 26 persons, including 11 minors, have been injured during the New Year celebrations across Negros Occidental, including the capital of Bacolod, as of this writing.
As of 11:15 a.m., an initial report provided by the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) showed that Talisay City and La Castellana town each recorded five firecracker-related injuries while Cadiz City and Hinigaran town listed four each.
Silay City and Moises Padilla town reported two injuries each while Kabankalan City, one.
The injured children were between three and 15 years old, including two, aged three and nine, from Talisay City.
Around 10:50 p.m. on Tuesday, the nine-year-old boy got hurt while lighting a sparkler at home while the three-year-old boy was hit by fragments of an exploding firecracker lighted by one of his cousins a day before the New Year’s Eve.
A report of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) showed that three, including two minors, have been injured in its area of jurisdiction.
Some of the patients were brought to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional, which has treated some 12 patients from Tuesday until dawn of Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Edison Garcia, public information officer of NOCPPO, said despite reports of some injured Negrenses, the celebration of the New Year in the province has been generally peaceful.
There were no reports of indiscriminate firing involving policemen and there were zero deaths related to the New Year celebration, he added.
Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, public information officer of BCPO, said the Bacolodnons also welcomed the New Year peacefully as there has been no recorded incidents of indiscriminate firing and stray bullets.
“This can be attributed to the continuous police visibility operations, information dissemination on use of prohibited firecrackers, crime prevention campaign, and use of social media in reaching out to the public,” he said.
(Nanette Guadalquiver ndb via pna)