Waylon Johnston
‘My eyes, my eyes’, cried boy injured by part of burning firework
A ground fireworks festival left a 13-year-old boy with a serious eye injury after burning debris flew off and hit him in the eye, a court heard yesterday.
Kurt Connor fell to the ground crying “my eyes, my eyes”, policeman Carmel Debattista testified.
The officer immediately called an ambulance and the boy was taken to hospital where he was found to have a tear on his cornea, a cut on his eye lid and an inflamed retina.
Mr Debattista took the witness stand in the case against Manwel Farrugia, 68, of Lija, a fireworks licence holder, who is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring the boy through negligence.
The incident took place on the granaries during the Malta Festival of Ground Fireworks on April 25 last year at around 11 p.m.
The executive secretary of the Floriana local council, Kenneth Brincat, went through some logistical procedures during the hearing, pointing out that the council had called for applications from fireworks factories to display their work on the Granaries.
They chose the factories and determined the performance sequence by lot. The council was responsible for the permits related to holding the festival while the participants applied for permits that would allow them to let off the fireworks.
Mr Brincat insisted that the council had abided by police orders and the regulations regarding barriers and the crowd’s distance from the fireworks.
Police Inspector James Grech prosecuted.
Lawyers Michael Falzon and Edward Zammit Lewis appeared for Mr Farrugia.
The case continues.
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R.Borg
Jul 27th 2010, 16:58
My Dear Mr. Brincat,
The organization of the fireworks display, which coincides with the Solemn Feast of St.Publius, is not a priority.
Floriana People have been insisting that the LC should see that:
a) the granaries do not deteriorate any more and should not be allowed to be used for major manifestations 'di massa'......NOW REMEMBER DUISBURG-GERMANY;
b) cars do not park on the pavements whether both during the day and during the night; the bollards to prevent parking should never have been placed;
c) the hundreds of cigarette ends thrown all over the subburb should be controlled and managed better;
d) on Sunday evenings and Monday mornings plastic bags etc strewn all over the area near the open-air market irresponsabbly should be controlled;
e) vandals should not be allowed anymore to exercise their profession at the Mall Gardens and other places;
f) public gardens should be defended from becoming dumping sites for syringes used by drug users;
g) Bishop Mauro Caruana Street is not blocked for traffic as a motorist washes a car;
h) the area behind the Bocci Club in Vincenzo Dimech Street very near the Police Headquarters, Gunlayer Street etc stop being transformed into litter zones.
J Oatmon
Jul 27th 2010, 14:44
Obviously, the regulations regarding how far away fireworks displays must be kept away from the public and buildings, are not good enough. The distance needs to be doubled to reduce the dangers for the public and their property.
Do these fireworks makers/providers have valid insurance against injury and damages - if not, why not? I have to insure my car to be licensed to drive, and these explosives/fireworks are obviously a much more lethal random hazard.
Charles Muscat
Jul 27th 2010, 14:06
A message to all politicians. Fire works should be banned as well as hunting once and for all.
Karl Consiglio
Jul 27th 2010, 13:31
Yes the guy who asked for the permit and the guys that gave it to him should be held responsible....Period, anything less means the system don't care for who gets hurt.
Charles Micallef
Jul 27th 2010, 12:34
Someone MUST be held responsible..........................period!