'Safe' novelty crackers explode in TN, burn victims call for strict safety tests

Licensed units lack facilities to test new crackers with approved chemicals, say govt sources

- HARINI M@Virudhunagar

WHEN Dr T Yokul (29) from Karaikudi lit a gadha-shaped novelty cracker that sprayed showers of sparks, he never thought it would backfire. Within seconds, his Deepavali celebration went awry. The firecracker exploded in his hand, leaving him with second-degree burns. This all happened while he was holding his five-year-old daughter in the other arm.

Hundreds of kilometres away, B Pavithra (28) from Krishnagiri and Suresh (38) from Villupuram suffered similar injuries when the guitar-shaped crackers they held suddenly burst. "I kept it at a safe distance, but as it started to burn, something about it seemed odd. It suddenly exploded in no time," recalled Pavithra.

Their experiences mirror those of several others across the country who met with accidents while lighting these two trending novelty crackers during this Deepavali, if the videos shared on social media by the victims and their family members are anything to go by.