Diwali celebrations across India were marred by fire incidents that killed at least 22 people, with fires damaging shops, showrooms, factories and homes from Mumbai and Delhi to Rajasthan, Jammu and Assam. The deaths, largely attributed to firecrackers, came as millions of people celebrated the festival of lights on Sunday, 8 November.
Mumbai recorded more than 80 fire incidents over two days. A fire was reported at Haji Kasam Chawl in Dongri on Sunday night, and another broke out at Skyline Vida, a commercial building in Vidyavihar, shortly before midnight, with the Mumbai Fire Brigade declaring a Level-II fire call at 12.52am on Monday, 9 November. A fire was also reported at the 17-storey Carlyle building in Thane’s Wagle Estate at around 8.30pm on Sunday. The Pune Fire Brigade received 73 fire-related calls between 3pm and midnight on Sunday, affecting flats, balconies, shops, warehouses and trees, although no casualties were reported there.
In Delhi, a 10-year-old boy lost his life in outer Delhi’s Narela after a rocket firecracker struck him in the stomach at about 9.45pm on Sunday. He died at the spot. Several factory fires were reported in the national capital, including a fire at a garment factory in Najafgarh. According to the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery at AIIMS, 42 Diwali-related injuries had been reported at the hospital as of 11am on Monday, 9 November.
Shops and markets gutted
A major fire broke out at the historic Nehru Market in Jammu, gutting at least 12 shops. The blaze began in one shop at around 9.15pm before spreading to nearby shops. A massive fire broke out at a firecracker shop in Falna in Rajasthan’s Pali district, gutting three shops and claiming two lives. In Assam, state authorities reported fires at 11 locations, including Tamulpur, Jorabat and Silchar, damaging houses and warehouses.
In the Delhi-NCR region, a major fire was reported at a foam-manufacturing factory in Ghaziabad’s South Side GT Road industrial area on Sunday evening. Foam, cardboard and other materials allowed the fire to spread rapidly, and eight fire tenders were sent to the factory before firefighters brought the blaze under control. Fires also damaged a high-rise flat, shops and several informal homes across Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
A festival with a deadly edge
Fire services across India were stretched through Sunday night and into Monday morning as the festival peaked. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is traditionally marked with fireworks, and fire-related deaths and injuries are reported every year — but the toll of at least 22 dead across multiple states, including a child killed by a single firework, has renewed the annual debate over firecracker safety and enforcement of restrictions.
Authorities have not released a consolidated national casualty figure, and the count of 22 is drawn from state-by-state reporting that was still being updated on Monday morning. Hospitals in Delhi and Mumbai continued to treat burn victims, and fire departments remained on alert as celebrations continued.
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