Christmas celebrations cause deaths, injuries in Latin America
Christmas celebrations led to dozens of deaths and serious injuries across Latin America, according to news reaching here on Monday.

At least six people were killed in traffic accidents, and another 178 hurt during Christmas Eve celebrations in the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo's Emergency Operations Center said on Monday.

There were 37 cases of alcohol poisoning and a total 149 traffic accidents. Most of the accidents involved motorcyclists, while 14 pedestrians were hit by cars. Thousands of volunteers have deployed along the nation's highways, and police have boosted security in the cities.

In Honduras, 16 people died, according to Miguel Martinez, a spokesman for the National Police. He said police had arrested people for illegally carrying guns and driving while drunk.

In Colombia, at least 11 people were killed and 16 others injured in car accidents during the Christmas, mostly caused by speeding or drunk drivers.

The highway police fined 65 bus drivers for speeding and 76 for drunk driving. In the capital Bogota, eight men and two women were killed, mostly with knives.

In Argentina, 93 people were injured, according to hospital authorities in the capital Buenos Aires. Nearly half were children injured in fireworks-related accidents and broken bottles were involved in a large number of injuries.

In El Salvador, the National Civil Protection Directorate reported 18 deaths over the Christmas period, and 28 children injured with burns from fireworks. Children are officially banned from buying fireworks in the in the Central American country.

Four of the 18 died in traffic accidents, one from drowning, seven from gunshot wounds and six from knife wounds. And 16 people received non-fatal gunshot wounds and 31 from knife wounds.