Over 250 suffer burn injuries during Diwali festivities

Over 250 people in the Capital suffered burn injuries during Diwali celebrations, mostly due to firecrackers, medical officials said on Tuesday.

According to data shared by various hospitals, Safdarjung Hospital — which has the country’s largest burns unit — reported the highest number of 129 cases, followed by 55 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 37 at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, 16 at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital and 15 at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.

At Safdarjung Hospital, of the 129 burn cases, 118 were caused by firecrackers and 11 by diyas (earthen lamps). Among these, 117 patients were from Delhi, nine of whom required surgery. The hospital also treated 24 children below the age of 12.

Similarly, at AIIMS, the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery recorded 55 Diwali‑related burn cases within 48 hours. Ten patients with major burns were admitted to the ICU.

In East Delhi, GTB Hospital treated 37 burn injury victims, with seven patients still hospitalised, although none were in critical condition, an official said. The hospital also received one brought‑dead case. Of the admitted patients, three sustained injuries due to firecrackers, two from diyas, and one following a cooker blast, the official added.

Dr Kabir Sardana, Director‑Professor and Head of the Dermatology Department at RML Hospital, said the rise in cases may be linked to the sudden increase in firecracker use or lack of proper supervision.