Mumbai logs 499 fire incidents in five Diwali days, 333 caused by firecrackers; two dead

Mumbai saw a flood of fire incidents caused by firecrackers during the five days of Diwali. Between November 6 and 10, the city recorded a total of 499 fires, of which 333 were reported to have been caused by firecrackers. Two people died and eight were injured in these incidents.

The highest number of incidents was on November 9, when 166 fires were recorded, 144 of them caused by firecrackers. On November 10, there were 102 fires, 24 of them from firecrackers. The Goregaon to Dahisar belt alone reported 96 fires in just two days.

In Zone 4, one person died and two were injured in a fire. In Malvani in Malad, a firecracker blast brought down part of the slab of a shop. A 16-year-old boy died in the incident. The boy's name is Shahnawaz Niyan Khan.

After Thane, Mumbai too had banned aerial firecrackers from November 9. Teams had also been deployed at night for enforcement. Even so, people were seen bursting crackers. Municipal officials acknowledged that the enforcement faced difficulties. Questions are now being raised about how the ban was implemented.

In the Juhu area, a large number of rockets and big aerial crackers were set off despite the ban. Fire incidents appeared to rise because of the rockets and aerial crackers. Residents asked whether the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's order exists only on paper.