In a tragic Deepavali incident, a couple in southern India’s Telangana lost their lives, and their daughter is in critical condition after inhaling smoke from firecrackers that ignited in their home.

The incident took place at East Chandranagar, Yakutpura in Hyderabad on October 28.

Visuals showed inside a house, a fierce fire erupted, filling the space with thick smoke and flames. In the midst of the chaos, injured individuals were hurriedly carried out by bystanders, their faces filled with fear and urgency. Outside the home, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, anxiously watching the scene unfold. The atmosphere was charged with panic and confusion, as people shouted for help and others dialed emergency services.

According to reports the couples are identified as Mohan Lal and Usha Bai who died of suffocation after smoke from firecrackers.

According to initial investigations, the family was residing on the first floor of their building and was preparing for Deepavali. A senior officer revealed, “It appears that the firecrackers, kept in their home for the festivities, caught fire from a nearby vendor’s stove. The smoke quickly filled the house, causing fatal suffocation for the couple, though no burn marks were found on their bodies.”

This incident coincides with an earlier fire that gutted a firecracker shop on Sunday, raising concerns about safety practices among vendors. Y Nagi Reddy, DG of Fire Safety, noted that the shop only had a temporary licence for an open area but was instead operating from a ground-plus-mezzanine-floor store, highlighting the risk to citizens. Officials are now scrutinizing safety measures at firecracker shops, many of which lack proper trade licenses and necessary safety protocols.