15 killed, 4,700 injured during Iran's year-end fire festival

At least 15 people were killed and 4,720 others injured by fireworks explosions in Iranian cities during the Fire Festival celebrations, reported Xinhua, quoting the semi-official Fars news agency on Wednesday.

Among those injured in the celebrations between Feb. 20 and March 12, 565 individuals remain hospitalized, with 38 in the intensive care units (ICUs) and four in critical condition, Spokesman of the Iranian National Medical Emergency Organization Babak Yektaparast was quoted as saying.

According to the spokesman, 257 people underwent amputations, 1,594 suffered eye injuries, and 1,282 sustained burns. Yektaparast added that 72 percent of those injured were under 22 years old.

Yektaparast said the death toll saw a 21 percent increase compared to the same period last year, while the number of injured individuals showed a 13 percent growth.

The traditional Fire Festival is typically celebrated by Iranians on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which falls on March 20 this year.