01/11/2007

Emergency Services Stretched At Hallowe'en

The emergency services have described last night as one of their busiest ever after thousands of emergency calls were received relating to Hallowe'en celebrations.

A number of people are being treated in hospital in Dublin following incidents near bonfires in the city.

Dublin Fire Brigade said its services were stretched to breaking point after it received around 1,300 calls in the 12-hour period since 6pm yesterday evening.

A spokesman said there had also been around 300 ambulance calls in the same period.

A man in his 20s is being treated in hospital for burn injuries to his arm after he fell into a bonfire in Walkinstown in Dublin.

While two people are also being treated for injuries after being struck by a car near a bonfire in Clondalkin. Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

However, while Gardaí received around 2,000 calls before midnight yesterday, a spokeswoman said that while the number of calls was higher than usual it had been one of the 'quietest' Hallowe'en nights in terms of major incidents.

(BMcC)

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