New Year’s Eve Celebrations Cause Multiple Deaths and More than 1,000 Injuries

The New Year was brought in with celebrations around the world, but some of those participating in the revelry will not have very fond memories of the occasion. In Italy and in the Philippines, the celebrations were marred with deaths and injuries from fireworks and gunfire.

In Manila, Philippines, 476 were hurt during the New Year festivities. Eighteen were hit by stray bullets, 454 were injured by errant fireworks, and four somehow managed to ingest firecrackers. This total, while high, was actually less than the number that was injured during last year’s celebrations. That total was 546. Flights into Manila’s airport had to be cancelled at one point because of the poor visibility and smoke from fireworks.

In Italy, two men died and another 561 were injured during celebrations across the country. Fireworks are banned in many Italian villages and towns, but police said that tons of the illegal fireworks were confiscated. More than 1,000 rocket launcher fireworks were confiscated, according to police.

One man was killed in Rome when he lit a huge firecracker in his home. Before he could toss it out the window, it exploded, killing the man. The rest of the fireworks in his home exploded, as well, and several other people in the apartment were injured. Three of the injured were children.

Another man died in Naples after he was hit by a stray bullet. The man was setting off a large bunch of fireworks in front of a restaurant he owned when he was killed.

In the United States, a 12 year old boy was critically injured when someone randomly fired a gun into the air in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. The boy is in a coma at Tampa General Hospital. Doctors have not been able to remove the bullet from his head.