Trauma surgeons treated 90 fireworks injuries this New Year's

The Dutch association for trauma surgery NVT register 90 fireworks injuries this New Year's, five fewer than last year. The 90 patients include 32 children, NU.nl reports.

Some 30 percent of the patients, including 70 children, sustained permanent damage. "This involves amputations of hands or fingers, permanent loss of function of hands or eyes, and permanent scars caused by deep burns", the NVT said. Some 44 percent of victims were injured by other people's fireworks. As far as is known now, 15 percent of cases involved illegal fireworks. But for almost half of the accidents, the type of firework involved is not yet clear.

The NVT also noted that around a quarter of the injuries already happened before the designated fireworks lighting time, which started at 6:00 p.m. on December 31st. The association calls for a ban on consumer fireworks.

On New Year's Day the Eye Hospital in Rotterdam reported that 8 people were admitted with fireworks injuries to their eyes. That number now increased to 17, four more than last year around this time, NU.nl writes. 22 eyes were damaged and 4 eyes completely lost their function. Half of the victims were bystanders.