Two of the injured kids
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Dangerous fireworks (illustration)
Photo: Sebastian Scheiner
4 kids hurt during Eid al-Adha festivities
Safed's Ziv Medical Center reports of several children suffering eye injuries from fireworks sparks, toys used during Muslim Festival of Sacrifice
Four children aged eight to 14 suffered severe eye injuries in the past 48 hours, after sparks from fireworks used during the celebration of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice, and toy splinters hit their eyes, Ynet learned Thursday.
The children, residents of the northern Israeli villages of Tuba-Zangariyye, Sajor and Salame, have all been admitted at the Ophthalmology Department at the Ziv Medical Center in Safed.
Hidden Dangers
Toy weapons being sold in breach of 1986 ruling confiscated. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor continue with raids, ask public to remain vigilant
Two of the children had to undergo surgery, due to severe risk that they may lose their eyesight.
Muhammad Halil from Tuba-Zangariyye, whose 10-year-old son was one of the boys admitted to Ziv, told Ynet about the incident surrounding his son's injuries: "He asked me for some money on Monday and used it to but a toy gun, like his friends have. Yesterday, he complained of a pain in his eyes, and told us that he felt something had gotten in his eyes when he was playing with the gun, but that he didn’t think much of it at first.
"When we got to the hospital, it turned out his had bleeding in once of his eyes. Thanks to the rapid treatment he got, he's getting better and it appears his injury wasn’t too severe."
Halil went on to urge the police and the Knesset "to pass a law which would forbid selling such toys and sanction those importing dangerous toys. Yes, the parents are guilty too, but it's hard to tell a child 'no' when all of his friends already bought the same toy gun."
Dr. Joseph Pikkel, head of ophthalmology at Ziv Medical Center, told Ynet about the some on the eye injuries caused by the holiday's toys: "We have an eight-year-old boy here with a severe bleeding in his eye and a 14-year-old boy who presented with a penetrating injury just above his pupil. The injury is just off the center of the cornea, and that requires a long healing process. Both had to undergo surgery," he said.
Despite the sever injuries, hospital staff has noted better public awareness within Eid al-Adha celebrants, to the dangers presented by toys. During the 2007 festival, noted the hospital, 15 children were admitted with various extremities injuries; while this year's injuries were limited to the eye injuries.
