A tragic incident marred the New Year celebrations in Cebu as a 10-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries after a “Goodbye Philippines” firecracker exploded.
The blast, which occurred in Purok Camunggay, Barangay Candulawan, City of Talisay on January 1, 2025, also left three other minors wounded.
The victims were struck by sharp pieces of tiles and stones propelled by the powerful explosion.
Barangay Captain Josefina Concial described the sound as similar to a transformer blowing up, highlighting the intensity of the blast.
Emergency responders from the Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office arrived at the scene promptly, but the 10-year-old boy had already died from a deep wound to his chest caused by the flying debris.
The other injured individuals include an 11-year-old who suffered a genital injury, a 10-year-old with a sprained knee, another 10-year-old with eye and body injuries, and a 17-year-old who sustained burns.
According to the investigation, the children had placed the firecracker on a pile of tiles, then covered it with another tile and threw a stone at it, causing it to detonate with great force.
Authorities are now hunting for a 20-year-old man who reportedly fled the scene after the explosion.
In a separate incident, a 23-year-old vlogger, Clifford Amarilla Remis, died after a firecracker exploded in his face. Police Lt. Benedicto Bobilles, deputy police chief of Asturias town, said the victim suffered severe wounds to his forehead, head, and chest.
Both incidents involved pyrotechnic bombshells purchased from a firecracker stall in SRP.