40 casualties in 47 fires

Around 40 casualties and a total of 47 fires were reported in the city on the eve of Diwali. The largest fire was reported in a hosiery godown near Jallandhar bypass and took firemen four hours to tackle the blaze. Additional Divisional Fire Officer Kartar Singh said,“Apart from this we had some small fires. They were the result of crackers and some were on the roof tops of houses.” In addition,more than 42 patients with burn injuries of various degrees were admitted to various hospitals. Two cases involved patients with over 70 percent burn injuries. They are currently undergoing medical treatment at Medicity. Majority of the patients were sent back home after administering first aide.