50 injured during New Year celebrations in Buenos Aires

At least 50 people sustained injuries during New Year eve celebrations in Buenos Aires, local health authorities said.

The report presented by three different hospitals, two specializing in eye injuries and a third in burns, showed the incidents had dropped compared with that of last year, EFE news reported on Wednesday.

Ten adults and five children were treated at the city's hospital for burns.

"The number of incidents was half that of last year," said Samantha Foster, Monday's head of emergencies of Hospital Municipal Quemados.

And only one of the youngsters remains with burns to the lower limbs.

"The rest of the injured left after receiving treatment," she said, adding that "nationwide and Buenos Aires city awareness campaigns, news reports and the cost of fireworks" were all factors that helped curb the number of accidents.

At the other two hospitals, 15 children and 20 adults were treated for injuries.

At the Lagleyze Hospital, Ruben Casale, who was in charge of emergencies, said of the 20 injured who entered the emergency room, "16 were due to fireworks and four due to flying Champagne corks."

He said there had been a "drastic reduction in injuries. Between Christmas and New Year's last year, we treated 60 patients. This year, we have only had 23."

--IANS

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