Odisha cracker mishaps during Diwali celebrations killed a 14-year-old boy in Rourkela, injured more than 100 people across the state and triggered fires in Bhubaneswar, Kendrapada and Khurda, according to a report by the Times of India.
The boy, identified as Chinmaya Kumar Sahu, a Class VIII student, died after a firecracker kept inside a glass bottle exploded at Kaushalya Nagar in Rourkela on Diwali night. His sister was also injured in the incident.
The siblings were reportedly travelling to their tuition teacher’s house at around 9 pm to join the celebrations when shards from the shattered bottle struck them. Chinmaya suffered severe injuries to his leg and was declared dead on arrival at Rourkela Government Hospital. His sister received preliminary treatment there before being shifted to Ispat General Hospital.
Raghunathpalli police inspected the site on Monday and registered an unnatural death case. An investigation has been launched to trace the person responsible for igniting the firecracker. Chinmaya’s body was handed over to his family after postmortem.
Hospitals in several parts of Odisha reported a heavy inflow of cracker-related injury cases during the Diwali weekend. Around 80 people were treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, while Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar treated 40 people. At least 28 people also sought treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
SCB superintendent Dr Jyotish Chandra Choudhury said no serious burn cases had been reported at the hospital so far. Most of the injuries treated on Sunday night and Monday morning were minor, he said.
The incidents also placed fire and emergency-response services under pressure. In Bhubaneswar’s Shikhar Chandi area, a fire broke out at the government-run Silk Farming Office after suspected sparks from nearby firecrackers landed on combustible material stored at the premises. Two teams from Chandrasekharpur Fire Station reached the location and brought the flames under control. No injuries were reported, while officials assessed the damage.
A bus in BDA Colony also caught fire after a cracker allegedly landed on it, triggering panic in the area. Firefighters later doused the flames. The report did not mention any injuries in the bus incident.
Two thatched houses were destroyed in separate fires in Kendrapada and Khurda districts. A two-room house in Demal village, under Aul police limits, was gutted while the family was asleep. Another five-room thatched house caught fire at Bachharapatan in Jatani. No injuries were reported in either incident.
The incidents underscore the range of risks created when fireworks are used near homes, public facilities, vehicles and stored combustible materials. Police action in the Rourkela case and damage assessments at the Bhubaneswar government office are the next reported steps.
