1,000 injured by New Year fireworks in Bucharest
Romanian doctors say more than 1,000 people have been injured in Bucharest by fireworks at outdoor parties to celebrate the New Year.
At the height of the celebrations, Bucharest's Emergency Eye Clinic treated 20 to 30 patients an hour. A total of 500 people received medical help at the clinic over the New Year period.
Several people lost their eyes and a dozen were admitted to hospital, of which seven required surgery. Patients' ages ranged from seven-year-old children to pensioners.
Dr Monica Pop, head of the eye clinic, said: "The hospitals were under siege on New Year's Eve. It was the most serious emergency situation the clinic has ever experienced. Drastic measures must be taken to stop this."
Firecrackers became very popular this year among young Romanians. The centre of Bucharest was filled with thick smoke from the firecrackers and there were also reports of similar incidents elsewhere in Romania.
Vendors sold firecrackers at impromptu stalls set up on sidewalks to hundreds of thousands of revellers who flocked to outdoor musical concerts.
