Chennai firecracker fires damaged a house and destroyed eight vehicles in three separate incidents at Sriperumbudur, Poonamallee and Adambakkam during Diwali celebrations on Sunday, with no injuries reported, according to a Times of India report.
At Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district, a rocket firecracker lit by children on Veerasamy Pillai Street flew into the house of Gangadharan and exploded, starting a fire. The flames spread through the house, damaging a sofa set, air conditioner, cupboard and other household items.
Gangadharan and his family escaped before the fire engulfed the property. Firefighters reached the location and brought the blaze under control. The report did not specify the extent of the structural damage or whether the house was later declared safe for occupation.
A separate fire broke out in the parking area of an apartment complex near the Sai Baba temple on Kumananchavadi Road in Poonamallee. Firecracker sparks fell into the parking area, destroying one car and four motorcycles. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, while Poonamallee police registered a case in connection with the incident.
At Adambakkam, another car and two motorcycles were gutted after firecrackers fell on parked vehicles. The three incidents together damaged or destroyed a house, two cars and six motorcycles across the Chennai suburban region.
The incidents highlight the immediate fire risks posed by airborne and ground-level firecrackers in dense residential areas, apartment parking spaces and streets where homes and vehicles are located close together. Fire services responded to all three reported locations, while the police case registered in Poonamallee will determine the next steps in that incident.
