Chennai: Two people died of burn injuries and 430 others were admitted to hospitals across Tamil Nadu for burns during Deepavali celebrations, according to a State Health Department bulletin.
The fatalities included an adult man and a child below 15 years of age. No woman died of burn injuries during the reporting period, the bulletin said.
The 108 emergency ambulance service received 39,634 calls during the 48-hour period. These included 6,317 trauma-related calls, 462 calls concerning burn injuries and 1,627 calls related to assaults.
Hospitals recorded 4,098 inpatient admissions across the three categories, including 430 for burns, 2,541 for trauma and 1,127 for assault-related injuries. A total of 1,283 ambulances were deployed across the state during the festival.
Government hospitals reported a significant number of admissions during the period. Thanjavur Medical College Hospital recorded 237 inpatient admissions, the highest among the listed hospitals. It was followed by Madurai Medical College Hospital with 206 and Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital with 185. Periyar Nagar Government Hospital recorded 138 admissions, while Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital reported 91.
The impact of firecracker-related injuries was also reported in other parts of the country.
In Madhya Pradesh, 12 members of two families were killed in separate house fires in Seoni and Katni districts. In Delhi, a 10-year-old boy died after a firecracker exploded in his hand, while more than 100 people reportedly suffered firecracker-related injuries. AIIMS recorded 42 patients with Diwali-related injuries.
In Hyderabad, around 60 people with firecracker-related eye injuries sought treatment at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. Eight of them were being prepared for surgery, including three children and five adults. (with inputs from media organisations)