El Salvador: December Festivities Left 54 Dead and 145 Burned

On Monday, the Salvadoran Civil Protection reported that 54 people died and 145 people were burned during the Christmas and New Year's Eve festivities.

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Between December 23 and 31, five people drowned in private places and 49 citizens lost their lives in traffic accidents, Civil Protection director Luis Amaya said.

During the holidays, authorities also recorded 461 accidents on streets and highways, which caused 337 injuries.

Baltazar Solano, director of the Fire Department, indicated that the number of people burned by pyrotechnic products on New Year's Eve alone reached 53. This figure, however, represented a 39 percent reduction in accidents compared to those that occurred in 2022.

The text reads, "The end of the year in El Salvador."

The number of people burned reached 145. This figure also represented a decrease compared to the 201 people burned in 2022. Other emergencies attended during this period were 35 water rescues, 22 mountain rescues and 122 fires.

In traffic controls, 135 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol during the Christmas and New Year holidays. At least until December 25, there were 1,782 drunk drivers arrested in 2023.

To manage the holiday season, the administration of President Nayib Bukele implemented a "protection plan" which involved the deployment of some 100,000 officials.