Six members of a single family died in a house fire in Yedshi, Dharashiv, during the Diwali celebrations on November 8.
The tragedy in Yedshi occurred when a fire broke out in a residence that also housed a grocery store on the ground floor. One person from the family was successfully rescued.
Firefighters Respond to Mumbai Blazes
Firefighters in Mumbai responded to 142 separate fire incidents on the night of Lakshmi Pujan, with 137 of those cases caused by firecrackers. The surge in calls to the fire brigade control room began abruptly after 9:00 p.m.
The most severe blaze in Mumbai occurred in the Dongri area, where a fire was declared a “Level-2” emergency. The fire brigade deployed nine fire engines and 11 jumbo tankers to contain the fire, which destroyed more than 30 shacks and shops. Other incidents in Mumbai were reported in Jogeshwari, Andheri, Malvani, and Kandivali, including a large fire in the JVLR area near the Western Express Highway.
Other notable fire incidents across Maharashtra and India included:
- A massive fire in Thane at the Raheja Garden Carline building, where fire spread from the 8th to the 14th floor, forcing the rescue of 50 residents. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the scene at night to inspect rescue efforts. A fire occurred on the 7th floor of the Aaravali Hills Society in Kasarvadavali, injuring four people.
- A 10-year-old boy died after a rocket firework struck his abdomen in the Narela area of Delhi.
- A firecracker shop in Pali, Rajasthan, caught fire, resulting in two deaths and leaving three people missing. The fire destroyed three shops and several motorcycles.
- In Jammu, a fire at Nehru Market burned more than 12 shops.
- In Banda, Uttar Pradesh, a scrap shop fire caused damage, with a shop owner alleging the fire was caused by thrown firecrackers.
- In Pimpri-Chinchwad, more than 50 fire incidents were reported on the day of Lakshmi Pujan.
Schools Teach Students Burn Prevention and First Aid
The Burns Association of India and the National Burns Centre (NBC) from Airoli conducted outreach to 208 schools, teaching 31,488 students about first aid for burns, burn prevention, and fire safety over the last month.
Dr. Sunil Keswani, plastic and cosmetic surgeon at the National Burns Centre, noted that the facility sees an average of 20 to 25 burn cases during Diwali.
“Every year, on average, 20 to 25 burn cases reach us during Diwali,” said Dr. Sunil Keswani, plastic and cosmetic surgeon at the National Burns Centre.
#Mumbai #Deewali #Fire Mumbai Records 142 Fire Incidents on Diwali Night, 137 Triggered by Firecrackers Mumbai witnessed a sharp rise in fire incidents on Diwali night, with the Mumbai Fire Brigade responding to 142 calls on November 8. Of these, 137 fires were directly… pic.twitter.com/RNGx7VJf4q
Regarding immediate action during a house fire, Dr. Keswani said:
For burn injuries, experts advised cooling the affected area immediately with cold, running tap water for approximately 20 minutes to reduce heat and the intensity of the burn. Experts suggest wearing close-fitting, thick cotton clothes instead of loose or synthetic fabrics, and keeping a bucket of water or sand and a first-aid kit within easy reach.
The National Burns Centre’s 24-hour helpline at 022-27793333 is available for immediate assistance.
Home Insurance Covers Damage
Home insurance can provide coverage for household contents and structural damage resulting from a fire, depending on the terms and conditions of the policy. Ashwini Dubey, who serves as the Business Head of Home Insurance at Policybazaar, pointed out that personal belongings might not be covered by a housing society’s building insurance.
“If someone lives in a housing society, its building insurance may not cover your personal belongings, making separate contents insurance important,” said Ashwini Dubey, Business Head of Home Insurance at Policybazaar.
Customers are typically required to provide a completed claim form, a copy of their policy, evidence of ownership or purchase receipts for the items damaged, and video or photographic evidence of the destruction to process a claim for home insurance.
An insurer might also request a police report or a report from the fire brigade, and it is vital for homeowners that the policy is held in the name of the property owner and aligns with the name listed on official government property records.
Low-quality wires, bad plugs, loose connections, and overloading a single socket with multiple devices can cause short circuits. Users are advised to place diyas on a flat and solid surface away from things like curtains, paper, plastic, dry flowers, or clothes, and to extinguish all burning diyas before sleeping, reflecting previous Diwali safety warnings.