Territory day 2025: St John report injuries as two girls hurt by fireworks
Two children were among more than 30 people injured in the 2025 Territory Day celebrations.
Northern Territory
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Two children were among the more than 30 people treated by health services for firework injuries on cracker night.
St John NT reported a rise in children injured by fireworks after thousands indulged in the annual tradition of setting the skies alight on July 1.
“There seems to be a lot more injuries with children compared to most years,” Territory response manager Craig Garraway told this masthead.
“It was a bit busier than previous years.”
All up St John say they responded to seven fireworks injuries across the Territory, including a five-year-old girl who was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH).
The girl was injured in Eaton with paramedics responding about 7.30pm.
She suffered burns to the chest but was in a stable condition.
In Alice Springs an eight-year-old girl was taken to hospital in a stable condition with burns to the elbow.
Mr Garraway said the most significant injury St John responded to was a 28-year-old man with “serious” burns to his face and eyes.
He said paramedics went to Nightcliff Jetty about 10.50pm, but could not find the man.
The injured man was later found in Jingili where he was taken to RDH in a “serious condition”.
In addition to these injuries, two people suffered burns in Katherine; a 39-year-old Moulden man was taken to RDH in a stable condition with burns to the legs; and a 25-year-old Berry Springs man was treated by paramedics with burns to his leg, face and arms.
An NT Health spokesman said emergency departments witnessed a decrease in presentations compared to 2024.
“Across the Territory, NT Health emergency departments have treated 30 patients with firework-related injuries,” the spokesman said.
“This number is down from the 41 injuries in 2024.
“In recent years, the type of firework related injuries have included burns, fractures, eye trauma, burst ear drums and foreign body injuries.”
Days before Territory Day, health workers and emergency services warned Territorians of the inherent dangers of fireworks.
On Monday St John NT director of ambulance services Andrew Thomas said he hoped everyone would have a great Territory Day, but urged Territorians to be responsible.
“If you are setting fireworks off, enjoy setting them off, but do it safely,” he said.
“Don’t hold them in your hands, make sure they’re safe on the ground, keep children away and avoid drinking and using the fireworks.”
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