17 fireworks victims being treated for eye injuries at specialist hospital

Seventeen victims with eye injuries caused by fireworks were brought to the Rotterdam Eye Hospital during the turn of the year. That number will likely increase during the day, said ophthalmologist Tjeerd de Faber. Additionally, four others were treated at Rotterdam Maasstad Hospital for burns on their faces caused by fireworks explosions.

Six people have already undergone surgery. De Faber called it an "old-fashioned horrific night.”

Most fireworks victims were hit by decorative fireworks, according to the ophthalmologist. This involved both people who set off the fireworks themselves and bystanders who were watching. "People think that decorative fireworks are safer, but that is not the case. The wind in particular played a role last night,” which caused the fireworks to either drift in the air, or shoot off in unexpected directions. “One of the patients was hit when he was 25 meters away," explained De Faber.

One of the victims is permanently blind in one eye, and six others have permanent injuries. It is still unclear how serious the damage is for the rest, reported De Faber. The number of patients may increase, especially because other hospitals refer patients to the Rotterdam facility.

Three years ago during the last turn of the new year before coronavirus restrictions hampered celebrations, the hospital treated eighteen patients with eye injuries caused by fireworks. During the coronavirus years, far fewer eye patients required treatment. On January 1, 2022, the Rotterdam Eye Hospital treated five fireworks victims. None of them required surgery at the time.

"We are back to square one. It's a shame that this has to be the price of celebrating New Year's again," said De Faber. He has been arguing for years for a permanent nationwide ban on fireworks to prevent eye injuries caused by the explosives.

Of the four victims treated at the Rotterdam Maasstad Hospital, one was discharged by 4:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Two victims were still in the regular care wards at the facility, and one was in intensive care.

The fireworks injuries included burns to hands, face and legs. A spokesperson for the hospital could not reveal the victims’ ages. It was also "very busy" in the emergency room, but not abnormally so, she said. The emergency department treated a total of six fireworks victims, four of whom were referred to the burn center.

The burn center is one of three national burn centers in the country. The other two are in Beverwijk and Groningen. At the beginning of November, the burn centers in the Netherlands reported there had already been a few dozen child victims of fireworks accidents that involved fireworks meant for use by children, such as fountains and ground bloom flowers, the Dutch Burns Foundation reported.

Third-degree burns had occurred in some cases, and surgery was a necessity for several children. "If victims continue to be added at this rate, we can call it a serious problem," said pediatric and burns surgeon Annebeth de Vries of the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk at the time.