12 fire incidents reported on Diwali in Patiala

As many as 12 fire incidents were reported across the city on Diwali night. To control the fire in a shopping complex at Leela Bhawan Chowk, seven fire engines were pressed into service.

While firefighters battled flames across the city, paramedics tended patients with firecracker-related injuries. More than 15 patients, a majority of them children, were rushed to Rajindra Hospital for urgent treatment of burns and eye injuries. Hospital officials confirmed that most of the injuries resulted from unsafe handling of firecrackers and the lack of protective measures.

A number of residents ignored the orders restricting the fireworks to two-hour window, from 8 pm to 10 pm. The directive, aimed at minimizing pollution and reducing health hazards, was largely ignored in some areas, where bursting of firecrackers continued well beyond midnight. No FIR was registered for violating the guidelines.