CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Department of Health Central Luzon Center for Health Development (DOH-CLCHD) reported on December 28 the first fireworks-related injury (FWRI) casualty in the region.

According to data provided to ARKIPELAGO NEWS, the victim was a 78-year-old man from Nueva Ecija who died on Friday, December 27, after sustaining multiple injuries from an exploding Judas Belt on December 22.

The DOH-CLCHD stated that the first FWRI casualty in Central Luzon was initially admitted to Tarlac Provincial Hospital and later transferred to Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

The cause of death was reported as “acute respiratory failure secondary to healthcare-associated pneumonia.”

The DOH also noted 17 fireworks-related injuries in the region, with Pampanga recording 10 cases, Nueva Ecija five, and one each in Bulacan and Bataan. The causes included nine incidents from boga, four from kwitis, two from five-star, one from piccolo, and one from Judas Belt.

Meanwhile, the Nueva Ecija Police Office identified the casualty as Rodolfo Matias, a farmer and resident of Barangay Bonifacio, Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija.

An initial police investigation revealed that around 12:50 p.m. on December 22, the victim was cleaning and sorting old stocks of assorted firecrackers at the back of his house when an accidental explosion occurred.

The victim sustained burn injuries on both legs and his eyes. He was immediately rushed to the Cuyapo Infirmary in his town and later transferred to Tarlac Provincial Hospital.

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