Delhi records over 300 fire incidents on Diwali, minor injuries reported

The Delhi Fire Service DFS responded to over 300 calls reporting firerelated incidents during Diwali celebrations according to officials although no lifethreatening cases were reportedIn conversation with ANI Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg stated that nearly 158 firerelated incidents were reported between midnight and 6 amldquoThere were no major cases but we did receive many calls From 5 pm yesterday until midnight around 192 calls were recorded and between midnight and 6 am about 158 more incidents were reported Altogether in just 12 hours from 5 pm to 5 am we surpassed 300 callsrdquo said Atul GargHe further explained that there were no major fire incidents this Diwali due in part to the increased fire forceldquoThere were minor fires including an incident in Vikaspuri where two people became unconscious and another in Mangolpuri where a woman and two children sustained injuries We had a significant number of calls but thanks to the enhanced fire force we managed to keep the situation under control and no lifethreatening incidents were reportedrdquo the DFS Director addedCommenting on a fire incident on a Delhi Transport Corporation DTC bus the DFS Director explained that a call had been received from the Najafgarh area around 630 pm Authorities were informed that a man was transporting potash a substance primarily used in firecracker manufacturing and known for its high flammability on a DTC bus resulting in a blastldquoA call from Najafgarh reported that a man carrying potash on a DTC bus had caused an explosion Potash is a common firecracker component and is highly inflammable Two people were injured and we dispatched two fire tenders to the scenerdquo he saidEarlier Delhi Police reported that a passenger and a copassenger sustained minor burns on Thursday evening when firecrackers ignited on a DTC bus An investigation revealed that a passenger was carrying a small amount of firecrackers which accidentally caught fireThe Deputy Commissioner of Police DCP Dwarka reported receiving a PCR call regarding the incident from Chhawla Police Station ldquoThe fire appears to have started from firecrackers being transported on board Initial investigations suggest a passenger was carrying a small quantity of firecrackers which ignited causing burns to him and the copassenger seated nearby Both were taken to IGI Hospital and the investigation continuesrdquo Delhi Police statedMeanwhile air quality in Delhi deteriorated significantly on Monday morning as residents defied the firecracker ban during Diwali night The Air Quality Index AQI in many parts of Delhi exceeded 350 posing serious health risksAt 700 am Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 395 Aya Nagar at 352 Jahangirpuri at 390 and Dwarka at 376 ndash all indicating very poor air quality levels with potential health hazardsDelhi was not alone as other major cities across India including Chennai and Mumbai also recorded poor air quality and visible smog affecting large urban areasWith inputs from ANI