Over 250 burn cases reported in Delhi on Diwali, most from firecrackers

More than 250 people suffered burn injuries in Delhi on Diwali, with hospitals across the city reporting a surge in cases, mostly caused by firecrackers, while the Safdarjung Hospital, which has the country's largest burn unit, recorded the highest number of 129 cases.

After the Safdarjung Hospital, 55 burn cases were reported at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 37 at the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, 16 at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital and 15 at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.

The Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital received 129 burn cases on Diwali days (October 19 and 20), including 111 where the patients suffered minor burns and were treated on an OPD basis, while 18 patients with major burns were admitted, said Dr Sujata Sarabhai, Head of Burns, Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at the hospital.

Of the 129 cases, 118 were caused by firecrackers and 11 by diyas (earthen lamps). A total of 117 patients were from Delhi and nine had to undergo surgery. Twenty-four patients were children aged below 12 years, Sarabhai said.

At the Centre-run AIIMS, the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department received 55 Diwali-related burn cases in a 48-hour period and 10 patients with major burns were admitted to the ICU.

"They have life- and limb-threatening injuries," said Dr Maneesh Singhal, Head of the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery at the AIIMS. He also informed that 23 patients had to undergo surgery.

Of the 55 cases, 42 were caused by firecrackers, three by diyas and nine were chemical burns caused by potash. Eight of the patients were children below 12 years of age, the youngest being a four-month-old baby, Singhal added.

Similarly, in East Delhi, the GTB Hospital reported 37 burn cases. Seven patients are still admitted at the hospital, though none are in a critical condition, according to an official.

The hospital also reported a brought-dead case. Among the admitted patients, three had firecracker burns, two had diya burns and one had burns caused by a cooker blast, the official said.

Fifteen burn cases were reported at the LNJP Hospital, of which only one had facial burns, while the rest were minor, according to a senior hospital official.

The DDU Hospital reported 16 cases -- three a day before Diwali and 13 on Diwali day -- with no patients in a critical condition, officials said.