At least eight people, five of them children, were injured by fireworks in Durban during Diwali celebrations on Monday night.

One of victims was a 13-year-old boy who had a firecracker explode in his mouth. The teenager was admitted into R K Khan Hospital's intensive care unit and is presently in a stable condition.

He had sustained severe burns to the mouth.

The boy had earlier been taken to the nearby Chatsmed Garden Hospital but was not on medical aid and therefore taken to R K Khan.

"The firework was lit and it went into his mouth and exploded. He had really severe burns," said a nurse, who did not want to be named.

Another three, with various firework wounds, were treated at R K Khan and four others at Chatsmed.

Those included a two-year-old girl with injuries to her abdomen, a 21-year-old woman with wounds to her left hand, a 22-year-old man with burns to his left eye and forehead, and 11-year-old with a 3cm cut to his forehead, a nine-year-old boy with an injured left eye, and a 29-year-old man with a piece of a firecracker embedded in his arm.

Last Thursday, Chatsmed also treated a five-year-old girl for fireworks-related burns over 14 percent of her body.

The hospital's trauma unit manager Sister Irene Pillay said they would be on high alert during Tuesday night when the Diwali celebrations continued.

She said that although the figures had dropped since last year, they were expecting more accidents on Tuesday night.

"We are expecting more cases tonight because Diwali is a particularly busy time for us."

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), meanwhile, said dozens of animals had been brought into their shelter since Sunday night.

"A lot of dogs were brought in and they were traumatized from the loud bangs. One of the animals, an old Staffie, came in with an injured hip.

"At this stage, we don't know what had happened to her," the society's Catty Ganesh said.

She warned that those with animals should keep them indoors if fireworks were to be lit.

Pillay, meanwhile, warned children should not be handling fireworks without adult supervision.

"People must also not stand overlooking the fireworks because it is dangerous."

For those injured by a firecracker, Pillay said cool running water was the best remedy.