Fireworks, Asian bomb blast casualties mark New Year

One million revelers cheered as fireworks sprayed from Sydney's iconic Harbor Bridge in a massive display at the stroke of midnight, hours after New Year-related explosions Monday caused casualties in Thailand and the Philippines. Sydney was one of the first major cities in the world to usher in 2008. Thousands staked out harborside vantage points with beach umbrellas and ice boxes from first light Monday to enjoy Australia's annual centerpiece celebration. Others joined a flotilla of 3,000 boats beneath the giant steel arch bridge for what organizers billed as the world's largest fireworks show. In 12 minutes, 600,000 Australian dollars (US$527,000; euro358,000) exploded in color from the bridge, floating barges and city high-rise roof tops. In Thailand, New Year revelers were among 27 people wounded when suspected Muslim insurgents set off five bombs early Monday in a tourist town on the Malaysian border. Three people were injured when fire tore through firecracker stalls in the Philippines. In Australia's largest city, about a million people crowded along the waterfront or aboard boats in Sydney Harbor to enjoy the annual midnight show. City of Sydney creative director Wayne Harrison said some spectators camped overnight along the harbor to secure the best viewing areas. A children's lights show and pyrotechnics spectacular kicked off at 9 p.m. (1000 GMT) as a prelude to the main event at midnight (1300 GMT). Hundreds of thousands cheered as skyrockets erupted over the harbor and the stylized image of an hour glass appeared in lights on the bridge span. In Japan, which will see in the New Year two hours after Sydney, the country's three main mobile phone carriers urged holiday-makers to hold off calling family and friends or sending messages from their phones in the first two hours of 2008 to prevent a system overload. ''We will try to deliver as many 'congratulations' as we can, but we may have to restrict services temporarily,'' read an advertisement sponsored by NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp. and Softbank Corp. in the nation's major newspapers Monday. In Thailand, four hours behind Sydney, bombs exploded in the hotel and nightlife area of Sungai Kolok, including two inside a hotel discotheque and one hidden in the carrying basket of a motorcycle outside a hotel, said army spokesman Col. Akara Thiprote. ''Sungai Kolok is a tourist town and people were here to celebrate the New Year. I think this is why they targeted the town,'' Akara said. In the Philippines, three hours behind Sydney, a fire destroyed nine firecracker stalls north of Manila, sending burning debris and smoke billowing into the sky. Two bystanders were hurt in Bocaue - known as the country's firecracker capital - fire marshal Absalon Zipagan said. Investigators suspect the fire was accidentally lit by a cigarette or reckless testing of firecrackers in an alley of stalls, he said. 9 hurt in Bocaue explosion At least 10 stores were destroyed in a fire caused by a firecracker explosion in Bocaue, Bulacan, Monday morning. Nine people were injured in the fire that started 10 a.m. Monday in Barangay Turo in Bocaue town, the country's firecracker capital. One of those was Chris Pineda who suffered head and arm injuries. Pineda is among two crew members of GMA television network who were wounded in the incident. Bocaue Police Chief Rizalino Andaya said the fire reached fourth alarm before it was placed under control at 11 a.m. Investigation revealed that a lighted cigarette seemed to have triggered the fire. Aside from the stalls, the fire also damaged two vehicles. "They sounded like bombs," businesswoman Rebecca Santiago told The Associated Press, describing the firecracker blasts, which shattered glass windows in her three-story building. Santiago said when she saw one stall catch fire she rushed to bring her three grandchildren out of the building to safety. As they ran away, she heard successive blasts from burning stalls that shook the ground. TV footage showed two villagers trying to douse the fire in two stalls with extinguishers. A powerful explosion later rocked a nearby stall, prompting them to run away. Some villagers snapped pictures of the inferno, while village guards directed traffic away. Last Saturday, dozens of stores were also destroyed in a fire caused by a firecracker explosion in Rosario town in Cavite province. Despite warnings by Philippine health officials, many Filipinos continue to usher in the New Year with powerful firecrackers, believing that noisy celebrations -- largely influenced by Chinese tradition -- drive away evil and misfortune. More than 900 people were injured by firecrackers and gunfire during celebrations a year ago between Christmas 2006 and New Year 2007. This season, the Health Department has recorded 134 people injured so far by firecrackers and one by a stray bullet since December 21 despite authorities' crackdown on powerful firecrackers and celebratory firing of guns. - with reports from Sun.Star and the Associated Press