150 injured in Baghdad 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 Sunday that 150 people were injured because of fireworks set off during the celebrations of the New Year’s Eve in Baghdad, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Saif Al-Badr, mentioned in a statement that the initial number of the injuries caused by fireworks in Baghdad reached 150 injuries, including 20 eye injuries, INA reported.
“No deaths have been reported so far,” Al-Badr elaborated.
“Many of the injured do not go to hospitals in the first hours of their injuries, thus, the ministry will provide, later on Sunday, complete statistics on the number of injuries caused by fireworks,” Al-Badr indicated.
The Iraqi security forces also arrested 15 people because of celebratory gunfire – shooting of a firearm into the air – on the New Year’s Eve in Maysan governorate located 400 kilometers (nearly 250 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
Maysan Operations Command mentioned in a press statement that legal measures have been taken against those who were shooting into the air, and the weapons in their possession have been confiscated.