SoCot farmer tries to set off 5-Star, loses fingers instead

LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato -- It's not over until its over for a farmer New Year reveler from a remote village here who lost two fingers when a powerful 5-star firecracker went off in his hands Tuesday afternoon.Romeo Lumbay, 48, of Barangay Tasiman, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato unconsciously added up to the rising number of firecracker blast victims in South Cotabato.Lumbay told DXOM-AM Radyo Bida he found a left-over firecracker from previous day's New Year revelry and decided to set it off at past 4 p.m.Unfortunately, his hands were sticky as he had just taken suman. After he lit the 5-Star, he lobbed it but went off in his hand, blasting off his fingers.The resultand Lumbay lost his fore finger and middle finger.He is now confined at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital here. He was the second firecracker blast victim whose fingers had to be amputated.On Christmas Day, a farmer from Banga, South Cotabato also lost his fingers due to illegal firecracker explosion.South Cotabato registered the highest number of cases firecracker related injuries with 32, based on the monitoring of the Department of Health Region 12.Dr. Alah Baby Vingno, South Cotabato Assistant Provincial Health Officer, has repeatedly appealed to the public since early December to refrain from setting off firecrackers to avoid injury and death.