An 11-year-old boy from Lingayen, Pangasinan lost four of his fingers after a firecracker he picked up exploded, as hospitals in the Ilocos Region reported a sharp rise in firecracker-related injuries at the start of the new year.

The incident happened on January 1, 2026. The child was rushed to the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) in Dagupan City where doctors were forced to amputate four fingers on his right hand, leaving only his thumb due to the severity of the injuries.

The boy’s mother said her son had asked permission to go outside with friends before the incident.

“Nagulat po ako, talagang umakyat lahat ng dugo na halos matumba ako kasi noong binalita nila yung nangyari,” she said.

R1MC said firecracker-related injuries treated at the hospital have climbed to 45 cases, higher than the 29 recorded during the same period last year.

“From 29 kahapon, 45 na ngayon, so may increase of 16 patients,” Dr. Maria Camila Rosario, head of the Emergency and Disaster Management Unit of R1MC, said.

“Yung mga pasyente na pumupunta dito sa hospital usually January 1 to 3. Hopefully wala na sanang dumating,” she added.

Hospital records showed that patients came from 10 towns and three cities in Pangasinan. Of the 45 cases, 16 were active firecracker users, while 29 were passive victims.

Rosario urged parents to be more vigilant, especially when it comes to children handling unexploded firecrackers.

“So kawawa itong mga batang ito. Sana yung mga bata sabihan yung mga anak nila na ‘wag pulutin yung mga paputok na hindi pumutok para at least hindi sila madale,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health–Ilocos Region reported a total of 170 firecracker-related injuries across the region from December 21 to January 1. Most of the victims were children aged 10 to 14.

Health authorities said monitoring under Oplan Iwas Paputok will continue until January 6 as they remind the public to prioritize safety and avoid using firecrackers.