Fire officers in the city remained on high alert on Diwali, responding to 42 fire-related incidents reported until 8 am on Monday. Among these, five or six were major incidents that required the deployment of fire tenders.
In a tragic occurrence, a man died after a fire broke out at his house in Nijatam Nagar. The man, who was reportedly paralysed, was trapped inside the house, according to officials. By the time the fire department side arrived at the scene, he had already succumbed to his wounds. The department was alerted by local residents.
Rajinder Sahota, president of the Fire Brigade Employees Association, said significant fire incidents were reported from Basti Sheikh, Basti Adda and the area near Lamma Pind Chowk.
Assistant Divisional Fire Officer (ADFO) Maninder Singh confirmed the fatal occurrence, stating that the man was trapped inside his house when residents informed the fire brigade. The squad rushed to the spot, but he was found dead upon its arrival.
Officials noted most of the calls were related to fire incidents, while some involved fires in scrap and junk material. Fire tenders were pressed into service to bring these blazes under control.
The department stated its teams would go on to remain on alert on Monday as well, as people traditionally burst firecrackers on the day following Diwali.
