New Year’s Eve Melbourne: Woman risks losing her eye after she is hit by an illegal firework

A woman could lose her eye after being hit in the face by fireworks while celebrating the New Year on a Melbourne beach.

She was at Altona Beach, 13km south-west of Melbourne's CBD, when the illegal fireworks were set off just after midnight on Monday.

The 48-year-old suffered 'very, very serious' facial injuries, particularly to her eye, and was taken to hospital.

A 20-year-old man from Truganina, 22km west of Melbourne's CBD, was arrested at the scene and later released pending further investigation.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Grainger said on Monday morning that “a number of fireworks incidents have occurred which have resulted in very serious injuries”.

“There were a total of 57 illegal fireworks incidents in Victoria last night and all varied in severity, but three were of particular concern.

“We had a 48-year-old woman in Altona who suffered very, very serious facial injuries.

“Illegal fireworks have gone off and she could lose an eye,” he said.

In another serious fireworks incident, a 57-year-old woman was taken to hospital after a flare hit a window at her home in Tootgarook on the Mornington Peninsula, 62 kilometers south of Melbourne.

Police allege neighbors lit flares and the woman was injured when she tried to remove the flare to protect her home.

“There was also a terribly serious fire at a house in Mill Park, which injured at least 15 people and resulted in a number being taken to hospital and treated for serious injuries,” Deputy Commissioner Grainger said.

The cause of the Mill Park fire is unknown but is not considered suspicious.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to contact police.

She was at Altona Beach (pictured), 13km south-west of Melbourne's CBD, when the illegal fireworks were set off just after midnight on Monday