Anger Over Slow Fire Response Leads to Attack on Firefighters in Bihar

A festive Diwali celebration turned violent in Bihar’s Khagaria district on Monday when enraged locals, frustrated by what they deemed a sluggish response to a fire sparked by fireworks, unleashed a barrage of stones on firefighters and torched their vehicles. The chaos erupted after a blaze, triggered during the Festival of Lights, engulfed five homes in a residential area, leaving residents fuming over the authorities’ handling of the crisis.

Firefighters rushed to the scene, but tempers flared when locals spotted the small size of the fire truck dispatched to tackle the inferno. The crew’s struggle to swiftly douse the flames only fueled the crowd’s anger, prompting them to pelt stones at the responders and set several fire vehicles ablaze. Multiple firefighters sustained injuries in the melee and were promptly rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to local reports.

Senior police officer Akhilesh Kumar, leading a rapid-response team, descended on the area to quell the unrest, restoring calm after tense hours. “Strict action will be taken against those who took the law into their hands,” warned Senior Superintendent Rakesh Kumar, adding that police are actively hunting for the perpetrators behind the violent outburst. The district administration has since beefed up patrols to prevent further flare-ups, with no additional tensions reported as of Tuesday morning.

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The incident underscores the simmering frustrations in rural Bihar, where inadequate infrastructure and delayed emergency responses often amplify public discontent. As Khagaria reels from the shocking attack, authorities are under pressure to address both the miscreants’ actions and the underlying issues that sparked such a fiery revolt during a celebration meant to symbolize light over darkness.

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