New Year eye injuries:

Dads the main cause

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Fathers' negilence resulted in children's eye injuries due to fire crackers on January 1, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said 22 incidents of severe eye injuries were reported from in and around Colombo on January 1 due to careless lighting of fire crackers. Children were injured due to the negligence of adults, he said.

According to the spokesman, 22 persons were admitted to the Colombo National Eye Hospital on January 1 with eye injuries. Among then were 10 children and 12 adults. All of them had serious eye injuries. "Children were injured when their fathers lit crackers while carrying the children. Adults had been injured when youth threw lit crackers at them," he said. The Health Ministry requested the public to be more careful when lighting fire crackers during festive seasons.