Diwali fire incidents in Gujarat rose 565.45% over average daily levels, with 366 cases recorded across the state and Surat and Ahmedabad reporting the highest numbers, according to figures released by the 112 and 108 emergency services.
The 112 emergency service received 5,651 calls on Diwali, compared with an average of 3,610 calls on normal days, representing a 56.54% increase. Fire-related emergencies accounted for 366 of the calls recorded across Gujarat.
Surat city reported the highest number of fire incidents at 82, followed by Ahmedabad city with 56 and Rajkot city with 44. Surat rural recorded 37 cases, while Vadodara city reported 22. Jamnagar recorded 14 incidents, and Gandhinagar and Kutch East reported 12 each. Ahmedabad rural recorded 11 fire-related incidents.
The emergency data also recorded 62 burn cases treated through the 108 ambulance service during the festival. Ahmedabad district reported the highest number, with 13 people suffering burn injuries, followed by Surat with 12. Kutch and Rajkot recorded five cases each, while Gandhinagar and Vadodara reported four each. Anand, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Narmada, Tapi and Valsad recorded two cases each.
The 108 ambulance service received 5,934 medical emergency calls on Diwali, compared with 5,246 on normal days, an increase of 13.12%. Vehicle accident cases showed the sharpest rise. Such cases increased from an average of 646 to 1,212, marking an 87.49% increase.
Non-vehicle injuries also rose by 75.17% during the festival. The figures cover emergency calls handled by the two services and include incidents linked to fireworks and other causes, according to the report. They indicate the additional pressure placed on ambulance and emergency-response networks during a period of concentrated public activity, travel and celebration.
Separate fire incidents were reported in Savarkundla in Amreli district and Godhra in Panchmahal during Diwali night. In Savarkundla, a fire broke out at a weighing-scale factory opposite the new bus stand on Mahuva Road. The report attributed the incident to fireworks. Two fire department vehicles worked for two hours before bringing the blaze under control, although the factory suffered losses estimated at lakhs of rupees.
In Godhra, a fire broke out late at night on the third floor of a cardboard warehouse on the Godhra-Dahod Road. Fire brigade personnel reached the site and brought the blaze under control with water, preventing a larger loss of life and property, according to the report.
The emergency-service figures place Ahmedabad and Surat at the centre of the state’s reported fire and burn burden during Diwali. The next steps described in the report relate to the continued emergency response and treatment provided through the 112 and 108 services for the incidents recorded during the festival.
