Manila: A six-year-old boy was killed while his father sustained injuries after their firecracker-laden motorcycle taxi exploded while travelling along Norzagaray town in Bulacan, reports said.
John Exequiel de Silva was riding with his father Noli around 8pm after buying firecrackers from Bocaue to sell them in nearby Nueva Ecija on Monday when their vehicle suddenly exploded.
Initial probe showed that a cardboard box which contained the firecrackers had been placed close to the exhaust pipe of the motorcycle taxi, which eventually exploded due to heat.
According to police, John Exequiel died around 10pm while undergoing treatment at the Norzagaray Municipal Hospital.
The incident on Monday comes despite a campaign launched by the Department of Health (DoH) to discourage merry-makers from using firecrackers and pyrotechnics to celebrate the New Year.
Bad effects
President Benigno Aquino has earlier called on Filipinos to desist from using firecrackers to celebrate the New Year, while highlighting the bad effects of the practise not only to humans and animals but also to the environment.
Filipinos burst firecrackers to mark the New Year, a custom handed down to them by Spanish colonisers and Chinese immigrants.
Aquino had issued orders to the national police to intensify its drive against illegal firecrackers and arrest those selling or using them.
Despite Monday's incident and similar accidents involving firecrackers elsewhere, the DoH said it is positive that there will be fewer firecracker injuries this year in the run up to the New Year.
The DoH said that in comparison to 1,022 cases of firecracker-related injuries recorded from December 21, 2010 to January 5 this year, the cases recorded from December 21 had significantly down by 27 per cent.
While firecracker injuries are expected to come down, incidents involving victims getting hit by stray bullets show an increasing trend.
