Caribbean Net News: Suriname records fewer fireworks incidents

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Authorities in Suriname have recorded a significant drop in fireworks incidents resulting in injuries. Officials at the emergency room of the Academic Hospital Paramaribo reports a total of 34 injuries. Up to January 4, 2006, 75 persons were injured.

It is said that the aggressive public education campaign launched by the Fire Department has contributed to the decrease. According to Fire Department�s spokesman, Guno Cooman, the shorter period in which shops were allowed to sell fireworks might also have resulted in fewer victims.

Cooman further informed that the inspections of police and the Fire Department in stores were also increased to prevent them selling illegal items and to minors. Since 2005 several very popular but extremely dangerous kinds of fireworks are banned. Early 2006 the Ministry of Justice and Police established a committee to regulate the import, distribution and sale of fireworks.

The most severe injuries recorded over the past days were amputations of fingers, while some victims had to seek treatment of plastic surgeons or oculists. Several injured were treated for burns. The oldest victim was a 37-year old man whose fingers were amputated, while the youngest victim ,a one-year old child, was treated for burns.

Traditionally, New Years Eve in Suriname is celebrated with a lot of spectacular fireworks and firecrackers by individuals, households and the business community. Suriname is becoming more and more famous as a tourist destination at the end of the year. Especially for the fireworks rally, the so-called pagarra-estafette, on December 31 in downtown Paramaribo where, attended by thousands, stores and other businesses light their firecrackers in sequence, colouring the streets red with the remains for days.

�I have never seen this before. In St Lucia you could watch fireworks only when the big hotels do that,� said St Lucian native Christine Joseph living for the past two years in Suriname. �This is not common in St Lucia. Households back home and individuals don�t burst fireworks as you Surinamese people. I�ve never witnessed that before,� she added.

In 2006, six companies imported 29 containers with fireworks to a value of US$666,000. In 2005, some 88 containers were imported. According to statistics, Suriname is the largest fireworks consumer on the South American continent, with spending an average of US$4 per capita each year.

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