Diwali-related firecracker incidents injured 30 people in Visakhapatnam, including five patients who required admission for burns or serious eye injuries, while fire services responded to 13 fire calls and reported substantial property damage during the festival celebrations on Sunday evening.
Twenty-five injured people were taken to King George Hospital (KGH), while five were treated at the Regional Eye Hospital. At KGH, five patients were admitted to the burns ward and 21 others were discharged after receiving first aid. At the eye hospital, four patients were discharged and one was admitted with serious injuries to both eyes, according to hospital sources.
The five patients admitted to the KGH burns ward suffered burns ranging from 4 per cent to 13 per cent. Hospital officials said all five were in stable condition and were receiving treatment, including debridement and surgical procedures.
The admitted patients included M. Charan Likhit, 16, and M. Dinesh, 15, from Mulajampa village in Rambilli mandal of Anakapalli district. They suffered burns covering 13 per cent and 12 per cent of their bodies respectively. Kumar Swamy, 9, from Kobbari Thota in Puranamarket, sustained 4 per cent burns to his right hand in a cracker blast.
B Jaswanth, 12, from Neelamangalam in Parvathipuram Manyam district, suffered 5 per cent burns to his right hand. A. Eswar Rao, 59, from Pineapple Colony in Visakhapatnam, sustained 5 per cent burns to his left hand. KGH sources said more patients could arrive for treatment in the following days.
The injuries placed hospitals and emergency services at the centre of the festival response, with cases involving burns and eye trauma requiring different forms of treatment. The hospital figures also show that most patients were treated and discharged, while a smaller number required admission and monitoring.
Regional fire officer Niranjan Reddy said the fire department received 13 calls related to fire incidents during Deepavali. One major fire at Rajam reportedly caused property damage estimated at Rs 25 lakh. Twelve other minor fire incidents resulted in estimated losses of Rs 27 lakh, while firefighters managed to save property worth Rs 1.43 crore, according to the fire department.
Reddy said no injuries or loss of life were reported in the fire incidents attended by firefighters. The department’s account was separate from the hospital-reported injuries linked to firecrackers. Further updates are expected as hospitals continue to monitor admitted patients and fire authorities complete their response to festival-related incidents.
