A 10-year-old boy died after a firecracker struck his chest while he was celebrating Diwali with his family in Delhi's Narela on Sunday night. The incident turned the festive occasion into a tragedy, with the deceased child's family alleging medical negligence at the hospital where he was taken.
The boy, identified as Rishi, was reportedly lighting firecrackers when a skyrocket, instead of shooting into the air, struck him in the chest, leaving him critically injured.
Family alleges hospital negligence
His family rushed him to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela, where doctors declared him dead. However, the family alleged that the hospital staff failed to provide timely medical attention despite the child being alive when he was brought in.
Rishi's elder brother, Mohit, accused the doctors of showing a casual approach while attending to the emergency. He alleged that the medical staff walked towards his injured brother instead of rushing to provide treatment and merely pressed his chest.
"My brother could have been saved. My brother was alive," Mohit said, adding that he was attending to his father, who had fainted after hearing about the child's death, when Rishi's body was allegedly taken away.
Mother claims child was breathing
The child's mother, Anjali, also alleged that the firecracker had struck Rishi in the chest while he was bursting flower-pot crackers and sky shots. She claimed that he was still breathing when the family took him to the hospital but did not receive proper treatment.
Delhi records 257 Diwali emergency calls
Meanwhile, the Delhi Fire Service received 257 emergency calls during Diwali, including 214 fire-related incidents. Of these, 24 calls were linked to firecrackers.
The highest number of emergency calls, 85, was recorded between 8 pm and 10 pm, followed by 61 calls between 10 pm and midnight. Five firefighters also sustained injuries while responding to fire emergencies across the national capital.
