Mumbai Bans Rockets, Aerial Firecrackers Till November 25 After 3 Major Fires

The Mumbai Disaster Management Authority has banned the use of rockets and aerial firecrackers within Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits until November 25. The decision was announced on Monday following three major fire incidents reported across the city on Diwali night, according to a PTI report citing civic officials. Scroll down to know more.

BMC Bans Firecrackers After Three Major Fires Reported

The fires damaged several huts, shops, a garage and parts of a commercial building. No casualties were reported. Following the incidents, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde urged residents to celebrate responsibly and avoid bursting firecrackers near residential buildings and public spaces.

According to a report by Free Press Journal, one of the fires broke out at Haji Kasam Chawl, a row tenement on Dr Maheshwari Road in Dongri, around 10 pm on Sunday. Initially classified as a Level-I fire, it was later upgraded to Level-II, requiring additional firefighting personnel and equipment. Firefighters took more than nine hours to bring the blaze under control, with operations ending at 7.23 am on Monday. Several huts and shops were damaged as the flames spread to electrical installations, wooden furniture, LPG cylinders, chemical drums and tarpaulin sheets, a civic official said.

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A second Level-II fire was reported at a garage on Marol Military Road in Andheri, near a school, at 10.51 pm on Sunday. Firefighters extinguished the blaze at 3.50 am on Monday after nearly five hours of operations. The third incident occurred at Skyline Vida, a 10-storey commercial building near Jolly Gymkhana in Vidyavihar, at 11.56 pm. The fire spread from the seventh to the 10th floor and was classified as a Level II incident at 12.52 am. Firefighters brought it under control at 5.55 am on Monday.

Mumbai Mayor Urges Residents To Avoid Firecrackers

In a video message, Mayor Ritu Tawde appealed to residents to prioritise safety during festive celebrations. Referring to the Bombay High Court’s directions, she urged citizens not to burst firecrackers on footpaths or in public places. She also asked residents to avoid lighting crackers near residential buildings and other occupied structures, warning that rockets and aerial firecrackers could enter homes, damage property and put lives at risk.

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Tawde stated that our festive celebration should not become someone else’s reason for sadness. Safety must be our utmost priority. The mayor further urged Mumbaikars to celebrate responsibly and ensure that their festivities do not endanger others.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons