The use of gunpowder left almost a thousand injured in Colombia at the end of the year, doctors warn of amputations and serious burns.
The end of the year celebrations continue to leave serious consequences on health of children, young people and adults due to the use of gunpowder and other explosive devices.
This is what the surgeon Patricia Gutiérrez de Reyeshead of the Burn Unit of the Simón Bolívar Hospitalwho warned about the severity and complexity of the injuries that the medical team treats daily, especially during these New Year festivities.
As the specialist explained, when a pyrotechnic device explodes in front of a personthe first areas affected are usually the face, chest, hands, genitals and legs.
“This year we have also seen head injuries. They are highly dangerous devices and none are safe.”, he noted.
Although not all patients require hospitalization, Gutiérrez de Reyes assured that they have already been registered phalangeal amputations, loss of fingers and severe fractures.
“Gunpowder does not produce a common burn. Gunpowder fractures, amputates and seriously injures,” he emphasized.
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Cases that mark for life
The doctor related that, throughout her career, she has witnessed shocking situations. Among them, he recalled the case of a 16 year old teenager who died instantly after an explosion that caused a internal rupture of the liver.
He also mentioned episodes of flyers exploding in the hands, causing wounds that extend to the shoulder, as well as numerous cases of permanent blindness by gunpowder sparks.
“I never forget the children from Villavicencio who were blinded because his father put a box of gunpowder on the fireplace, not even taxi driver who carried gunpowder under his legs and died in an explosion,” he said.
Risks beyond gunpowder
The specialist warned that the holiday season not only increases gunpowder injuries, but also domestic burnsespecially in children who are on vacation.
Accidents with hot oil, boiling water, soups, chocolate, tamales or fried foods They are frequent when there are carelessness in the kitchen.
“Children who pull tablecloths, pots that fall, poorly placed candles or lanterns inside cribs They have caused tragedies. This is a time of great danger.”, he stated.
Hospital on permanent alert
The Burn Unit of the Simón Bolívar Hospital remains on high alert, with permanent availability to care for patients.
One of the biggest risks, according to Gutiérrez de Reyes, is that people do not immediately go to health services and opt for home remedies or pharmacy recommendations.
“That aggravates the injuries. If the accident occurred, the patient must be taken immediately to the nearest healthcare center to avoid infections, treat fractures or perform surgeries in time,” he explained.
Finally, he made a direct call to parents to assume their responsibility. “Every family in Colombia has the obligation not to expose their children to these risks or bring gunpowder into their homes. Prevention starts at home. “Let ‘no’ be a real premise at the end of the year,” he concluded.
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Report from the authorities
Injuries caused by the use of pyrotechnic gunpowder in Colombia register a 18% increase during the 2025-2026 season, compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the Bulletin No. 32 of Intensified Surveillance of the National Institute of Health.
According to the official report, between December 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 have been notified 998 people injuredcompared to 846 cases reported in the same period of the 2024-2025 season.
The health authorities reiterated the call to avoid the use, handling and marketing of gunpowderespecially at the end of the year celebrations.
Departments with the highest increase in cases
The report shows significant increases in several territorial entities. Antioch tops the list with 141 cases, which represents an increase of 28.2% compared to the previous year.
They follow him Cauca Valleywhich went from 21 to 37 cases (76.2%), Cauca with an increase of 31.7%, Atlantic with 37.1%, and Cundinamarcawhich reports an increase of 26.2%.
There are also worrying increases in Cartagena (180%), Bonaventure (120%), Casanare (100%) and Araucawhich went from one case to nine, which represents an increase in 800%.
Direct manipulation, main cause of injuries
The bulletin states that the 65.7% of cases occurred during direct handling of gunpowder, followed by injured people such as observers (27.6%).
Among the artifacts most involved in injuries are the totes (31%)the flyers (18.8%)other pyrotechnic elements (19.7%) and rockets and volcanoeseach with 7.6% of the cases.
Severity of injuries and affected population
The majority of injuries correspond to first degree burns (47.4%) and second degree (43.8%)while the 8.8% They were third degree burns, considered highly serious.
Regarding the affected population, 315 cases correspond to minors under 18 years of agewhich maintains alert about the risk that gunpowder represents for children and adolescents.
Source: Integrated Information System
