At least five people were killed and nearly 600 were injured in traditional riotous New Year's Eve revelry involving fireworks and guns across the Philippines, officials said Friday. A 5-year-old boy and his mother were killed after being trapped inside the family-owned pyrotechnics store that went up in flames hours before midnight Thursday in Gingoog City, police said. The inferno started when the boy's father, Adonis Guibone, and uncle, Ramon Guibone, tested a firecracker inside the store, setting off a chain reaction, police said. The boy, Juros Guibone, was sleeping inside the store and his mother rushed into the flames in a failed bid to save him, while a store helper, Mark Rito Eballe, also perished, police said. Gingoog City police and fire personnel estimated the damage to the store around P400,000. In Zamboanga City, 2 more revelers were killed and 5 others injured when a footbridge connecting Barangay Taluksangay to Sitio Tawitawi collapsed as they converged to watch a pyrotechnics show minutes before midnight, police said. The fatalities were Nurwina Jul-arsi, 14 and Unggah Akinnang, 17. Those injured were Anas Asnalun, 26; Arnold Asnalun, 23; Ibnar Bakay Amannang, 27; Elias Rohmon; and Amir Halilillah Ayub. All victims are residents of Barangay Taluksangay. Health Secretary Francisco Duque, meanwhile, said 571 people were injured by firecrackers and 26 by stray bullets. Duque said in a press conference that 36 or 6 percent of the total number of cases had blast burn injuries that needed amputation of mangled fingers or limbs. He said this year's New Year's Eve injuries were less than 2009, when 683 people were wounded by firecrackers and 17 by stray bullets. The health secretary said the lower firecracker-related injuries may be attributed to the government's “scare tactics.” These included television advertisements that showed gruesome images of severely mangled limbs and a tray of surgical instruments used in the amputation of a limb. Making noise by exploding firecrackers and firing guns into the air are common ways of greeting the New Year. The Philippines is mainly Roman Catholic, but the celebrations draw on ancient superstitions and Chinese traditions in which the noise is meant to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck in the coming year. Adding to the danger of the fireworks, over 1.2 million unlicensed firearms in the country and some of those are used in the festivities.
