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THE HIBISCUS COAST
EXPERIENCE |
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2006/7 |
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KZN:
Children lose fingers in firework accidents
Mondli
Zisongo (18) weeps daily at the Addington Hospital for
the three fingers he lost on his right hand when he lit
firecrackers and held onto them, expecting them to give
off sparks, not explode.
At R.K.
Khan Hospital there is a nine-year-old who only has the
little finger on his right hand left.
At Port
Shepstone Hospital, a three-year-old had his middle
finger amputated following a firework injury. The
hospital treated three firework injuries, but this was
the most serious.
King Edward
VIII Hospital in Durban received 15 firework victims on
January 1, the youngest only five. The patients were
either burnt on the hands and forehead or suffered
damage to their eyes. |
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Umtentweni: Thanks to the New year's Eve Party held
at the Inkwazi Restaurant on the south bank of the
Umzimkulu River, an irreplaceable asset has been lost: a
treasured family of African Fish Eagle that has
been resident in the valley for many years. All it took
was 30 minutes of heart stopping, mindless detonating of
explosives.
Update:
After 10 days the big male was located - all alone
and not calling at all - obviously quite traumatised,
but no sign of his mate or the chick. He seems to have
moved way up the river towards the low level bridge
miles away from the original nest. "But we are so happy
to see him anyway even though his family unit has been
devastated. We look out in hope every day to see if the
others return…..” |
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Southbroom: On Saturday, 23 December 2006 we were
enjoying a pleasant family evening on the veranda of our
home in Southbroom.
Suddenly we
were rocked by a tremendous explosion. Shocked, it took
us a while to realise it was a “big bang” firework which
appeared to come from across the road. Only then did we
notice that Rambo, a friend’s beloved little dog we were
looking after, had vanished.
A frantic
search finally located him, shaking and terrified,
taking refuge behind one of the flowerbeds. After much
soothing, he seemed to calm down and rejoined us on the
veranda.
A short
while later though, a second blast shattered the night.
Then our nightmare began. Rambo was nowhere to be found.
Until 1 o’clock the next morning, we wandered the
neighbourhood by torchlight calling and searching for
him. But in vain.
It is
impossible to describe our mental anguish at the thought
of the little dog we had come to love as our own, lost,
alone and terrified somewhere out in the darkness. What
would we tell Pam, our friend, who had entrusted her
loving companion into our care?
At first
light, the search was resumed. We knocked on neighbours’
doors, waking them from sleep. We questioned passers by.
The police and SPCA were contacted. To no avail.
Finally, at
9 am we received the joyous call. Rambo was found! A
kindly person in Ramsgate – 3 kilometres away – had
discovered the Maltese and telephoned the number on his
collar-tag. Exhausted, dehydrated and filthy with a sore
paw, but otherwise unharmed, the little dog was reunited
with his adoptive family. |
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Ramsgate: We live in
Ramsgate with our much loved and well adjusted 4
year old Staffie called Gaby.
From mid December 2005 to +-
10 January 2006 she was reduced to a shivering,
jumpy, panting, nervous wreck, owing to the
incessant fire cracker noise. She went rushing into
the shower – her "Place of Safety", every time there
was a loud noise of any description. She still
dashes off there if a car backfires - and we are now
in mid February.
I have discussed this problem
with colleagues and friends, many of whom assure me
that they have to sedate their animals during the
"silly season". Gabs is a happy law abiding number
who does not take medication for medical conditions
so why should she be subjected to this for
non-medical reasons?
I had
not thought about the wild animals before reading
your article and
my heart goes out to them as they do not have a safe
"shower" cubicle to use as a bomb shelter, and
loving parents to calm them down and reassure them
during the fire cracker season.
We are happy to be part of your worthwhile campaign
in any way in which we can.
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Marina Beach: This was my first experience of
'season' and I was absolutely appalled. Fireworks going
off practically every evening, goodness only knows what
has happened to the duiker that used to walk across our
lawn every evening, or the wood owl that was also a
regular visitor. In addition of course any fond notion
I may have had about being wined and dined on Old Years
Eve had to be shelved as our dog got progressively more
upset by fireworks as time went on - by Old Years Night
she was practically catatonic and not in a fit state to
be left. One spent a secluded night swearing
appallingly at every cracker and banger !! |
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SOUTH AFRICA
ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY
FIREWORKS |
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2006 |
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Durban's Golden Mile beachfront:
An eight-month-old baby had to be taken to Addington
Hospital soon after the countdown to New Year's Day
after being hit by a cracker. |
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Empangeni: A Doberman (8) died
of suffocation when it became tightly wedged in burglar
bars while trying to escape fireworks on New Year's
morning. The dog chewed its way through a wooden window
frame and smashed the glass in its frantic attempts to
get inside the house of its owners. The dog got her
whole head and shoulders through, but her pelvic area
got stuck in the bars as she tried to get through. She
hung in the bars until she died. |
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Hermanus: A fire that broke
out on the mountain above Hermanus on New Year's Eve is
believed to be the work of a reckless fireworks
enthusiast. The blaze was extinguished in five hours. |
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Johannesburg: A family of
animal lovers in Vanderbijilpark is grief-stricken
because one of their seven dogs, presumably hit by
fireworks, had to be put down. One side of her head and
neck was burnt, everything was raw. The Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had to put her down
because of the extent of her injuries. |
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Port Elizabeth: Fireworks over
the festive season drove at least two dogs to take
desparate measures – smashing their way into their
owners' homes to escape the loud bangs. …
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Port Elizabeth: A boy's (10)
index and middle fingers had been amputated after a
firecracker exploded in his hand. The boy lit the
explosive on the kitchen stove, as there were no matches
in the house. He tried to toss the cracker out the door,
but it blew up in his hand, tearing it to pieces. |
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Mnandi beach near Mitchell's
Plain: A child lost three fingers in the worst of 15
Guy Fawkes fireworks accidents at the weekend. |
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Port Elizabeth area: Eight
dogs died and more than 60 were reported missing after
fleeing in terror from suburban Guy Fawkes firework
displays. The eight dogs that had died had been run over
by cars after fleeing from areas where fireworks were
exploding. |
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2005 |
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According to the Department of Health and Social
Development, 23 people were seriously injured by
fireworks over the new year period
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Mankweng
hospital: 7 children and 1 adult were treated for
facial injuries caused by fireworks. 3 children will be
left permanently blind.
Polokwane hospital: 1 child whose sight has been
permanently affected will bear facial scars for the rest
of his life. |
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2004 |
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Witpoort (near Roodepoort): A
house burnt down when its thatched roof caught fire from
fireworks |
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2002 |
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Port Shepstone (largest towon on
the South coast in South Africa):
Two teenagers (18 and 15) are to
appear in the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court after
they allegedly set off a firecracker in a dog's mouth.
They are charged with contravening the Animals
Protection Act. Graham Edwards, manager of the Lower
South Coast SPCA, said the cracker had caused splitting
of the dog's cheeks, gums and the roof of its mouth. |
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1999 |
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Milnerton: A
Guy Fawkes evening held at the Theo Marais Sports Club
ended in disaster when a bakkie loaded with fireworks
exploded, sending hundreds of people running for cover.
Pyrotechnician Larry Kuiper, who was in the back of the
bakkie at the time, was seriously injured when he was
flung metres through the air by the violent explosion.
His face was badly burnt and one of his ears was nearly
ripped off. People dived for cover as shrapnel flew
through the air.
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Athlone: A garage shop and a
hairdressing salon were destroyed in a fire caused by
fireworks in the second major Guy Fawkes accident this
weekend. |
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South Africa: At least two
dogs died and more than 150 were listed as runaways
during the weekend's noisy celebrations of Diwali and
Guy Fawkes. Reported by the Durban and Kloof branches of
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. |
