AN 11-YEAR-OLD Limerick schoolboy underwent surgery for a serious hand injury after a firecracker went off in his pocket.
Gardaí in Limerick are trying to trace the source of the illegal Halloween firecracker, which exploded in the pocket of the boy’s trousers while he was at school in the south side of the city last Friday morning.
He suffered serious injuries to his hand and thigh. After initial treatment at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, the boy was transferred to Cork University Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery on his right hand over the weekend.
Insp John O’Reilly of Henry Street Garda station said gardaí were examining the circumstances of the incident, and were seeking to establish how the boy obtained the illegal firecracker.
“We are looking into what happened, and this incident acts as a warning to other parents whose children may also have obtained firecrackers,” he said.
The incident highlighted the dangers of illegal fireworks and bangers, and showed how easily injuries could be inflicted, he said.
“They are lethal altogether and they are an explosive substance and I would urge parents whose children may have obtained them to get rid of them.”