132 people injured in Iraq because of New Year’s Eve fireworks
New Year’s Eve celebrations in Baghdad. Photo: Al-Ain News
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced on Monday that 132 people were injured because of fireworks set off during the celebrations of New Year’s Eve in Iraq.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Saif Al-Badr, mentioned in a statement that the initial number of injuries caused by fireworks across Iraq reached 132, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Al-Badr indicated that one person died and 17 others were injured because of celebratory gunfire—the shooting of a firearm into the air—at the New Year’s celebrations.
The Iraqi official confirmed that the number of injuries recorded this year is relatively lower than previous years.
Last year, 150 people were injured because of fireworks set off during the celebrations of New Year’s Eve in Baghdad, but no deaths have been reported.
The Iraqi security forces also arrested 15 people because of celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve 2023 in Maysan governorate, located 400 kilometers (nearly 250 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
Maysan Operations Command mentioned in a statement that legal measures have been taken against those who were shooting into the air, and the weapons in their possession have been confiscated.