Terrible! Accidents increase with fireworks and 75% of children are observers

In the new year, it seems that everything is not celebration. This date also gives us some black numbers, such as fireworks accidents. For the celebration of 2018-2019, these accidents have increased.

This was announced by Coaniquem in the framework of the closure of the National Fire Campaign 2018-2019, which was carried out in cooperation with Carabineros de Chile and the Ministry of Health. The results were obtained through the "National Epidemiological Surveillance Cadastre", which aims to publish a register of burnt children, reported by public and private health centers across the country.

Dark numbers

In the cadastre, which took place between 6 December 2018 and 6 January 2019, a 33% increase in the number of children burned with fireworks was found, with the main victims being children aged 4 to 14 years.

"The biggest concern is that 75% of affected children are observers and not manipulators of fireworks, which proves the risk of using these dangerous elements in individuals who do not have the necessary permits or controls, which threatens their lives and the risks of third parties," said Rolando Saavedra, Director medical management at Coaniquem.

Data by region

In the period 2018-2019, eight cases were registered, of which 50% were reported in the metropolitan region, while the remaining cases were evenly distributed between the Antofagasta region (12.5%) and Valparaíso (12.5%). %), Araucanía (12.5%) and Tarapacá (12.5%).

According to Colonel Fernand Bywaters, the control of the prefecture of weapons and explosives OS.11, "97 were arrested for the sale, use and purchase of fireworks and seized nearly 143,000 pyrotechnic elements, with the Antofagasta region where it was There were more announcements." ( The period from 6 December 2018 to 6 January 2019).

Other information

• The affected children were aged 4 to 14 years.
• Of the eight reported cases, there were five men and three women.
• Recorded cases occurred between 30 December and 1 January.
• Two of them dealt with fireworks and six were observers.
• Children who handled the material were hospitalized.
• Six of them recorded an intermediate burn, surface burn and a case of deep burns.