Fireworks' victims drops this year

Fireworks' victims drops this year

JAKARTA: The number of victims of burns resulting from fireworks
who were admitted to the Cipto Mangunkusumo public hospital on
the eve of and during the Idul Fitri celebrations dropped
significantly this year.

"Last year, 60 people were admitted to the hospital's
emergency unit on the eve of Idul Fitri with more than half of
them suffering burns from fireworks accidents," the hospital's
public relations chief, Royan Simanjuntak, said here on Monday.

This year, he said, of the 24 people admitted to the emergency
unit only one had been injured by fireworks on the eve of Idul
Fitri. The rest were victims of road accidents or were suffering
from stomach ailments.

According to Royan, the medical staff were delighted with the
dramatic decrease in the number of fireworks victims. "All the
doctors and nurses are very concerned when they have to deal with
fireworks' victims," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

The police this year for the first time strictly enforced the
ban on the sale and use of fireworks during the fasting month of
Ramadhan and the Idul Fitri festivities.--JP