Buy crackers from licensed shops: officials

Officials of the State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department said on Tuesday, advising people to buy crackers only from 3,944 license shops. They also said that on the occasion of Diwali fire vehicles will be deployed in prominent localities to respond to emergency calls as the earliest.

Other instructions issued by the fire services department included keeping eyedrops, ear plugs, blankets and first-aid kits in close proximity to places of celebration and discard used fireworks properly , using water.

“Store crackers away from



sources of flare or ignition in addition to wearing light cotton clothes while bursting crackers. People should also ensure that crackers are burst only in open spaces such as playgrounds and fields. It is also advised to keep a bucket of water and blankets ready in case a fir breaks out. While igniting Diwali aerial fireworks such as rockets, people must ensure that they are not facing toward an opening like a window or a door,“ said said V Papaiah, regional fire officer (central region), Telangana State disaster response and fire services department.