Days after the celebration of the Yuletide, victims of fireworks across Delta State are still groaning in pains.
Two persons were said to have died of
injuries caused by fireworks. 21 persons were injured and six admitted
at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba. The hands of two of the victims
were operated.
In Warri, a four-year old girl
identified as Ejiro was reportedly killed by fireworks that exploded on
her. The teenage girl was killed on the spot at her father’s residence
on Ejegba Street.
The Police public Relations officer in
the state, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, in a swift reaction, said that most of
the victims failed to heed the warnings of the law enforcement agents
use of fireworks, saying that many traders were arrested for selling
firework.
She said,” Many traders were arrested
for selling fireworks after the warnings which fell on deaf ears,
parents also contributed to the tragedy for buying fireworks for their
children, it was absolutely wrong and today there are lots of victims
whose hands may be cut off because of the fireworks’’.
At the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba,
one of the admitted victims, Ikechukwu James, a resident of Ugbolu
community near Asaba said, “I bought the firework myself and I threw to
the air after I lit it only for it to return to me with fire and I saw
my hands burning and I shouted for help before I was taken the
hospital”.
Some of the nurses at the hospital who
didn’t want their names in the print called on the state and Federal
Government to ban the use of fireworks while others described the use of
Banga firework as evil, saying that those involved, especially the
traders, should be prosecuted.
Another victim, Lucky Ikechukwu, a
native of UbuluUku community said it was the father who bought a packet
of firework for him, saying” my father bought a packet of fireworks for
me and I tried it for the first time only to throw me off balance as it
exploded. I saw myself in the hospital.
The Acting Medical Director of the
Hospital, Dr. Victor Osiatumah, said over six persons were admitted in
the hospital with serve injuries on their hands, adding that some of
them were referred to the teaching hospitals while others are being
managed by the hospital.
He said” We are managing about six
victims of the fireworks while some were referred to Teaching Hospitals
because of the serious injuries the victims sustained, We want
Governments to arrest the situation by making laws that will prohibit
the sales of fireworks and those involved be brought to book”.
Some relations of the victims, one of
them Joseph Ikechukwu, lamented the incident, saying “many of the
parents, I mean many of us encouraged the use of fireworks, today we are
in pains as some of our children are critically lying on their sick
beds in pains while some of them have their hands amputated, it is
unfortunate”
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