Friends and family of P. Puwnaswaran, a Kulai, Johor-area man celebrating Deepavali over the long weekend, are now mourning his tragic death after he was killed by a firework that he had just lit.
The 25-year-old, who worked in Singapore and was described as cheerful and happy, lost his balance and fell on top of the pyrotechnic that had just been lit. It exploded under him seconds later.
According to The Star, a friend reported that the victim was “badly injured all over the body and face.”
Puwnaswaran was immediately rushed to Kulai Hospital for treatment, and later transferred to the larger Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru, where he passed away in the early hours of Monday morning.
“The family is devastated,” the friend told the daily. “This was supposed to be a happy occasion when everyone gathered to play [with] firecrackers for Deepavali.”
Johor police have confirmed the case, and have urged the public to exercise caution when setting off fireworks.
Fireworks have been classified as explosive devices in Malaysia since 1955, and those caught setting them illegally are subject to a fine of RM100 (US$25), and/or a month in prison.
And while RM100 may seem like a drop in the bucket, easy there, friend: There’s also another law prohibiting their use under the Explosives Act 1957 that includes fireworks and fog signals on a list of banned devices. This carries a sterner prison sentence of five years, or a RM10,000 (US$2,500) fine, or both.
Happy Boom fireworks and their even wimpier cousins, childhood favorite Pop-Pops, are the only fireworks sanctioned under Malaysian law. Both are of the lo-fi, snap-crackle-and-pop variety.
Still, people get seriously hurt every year over our country’s many holiday seasons, losing limbs and eyes, or — as in the tragic case of Puwnaswaran — their lives.
Be careful, and stay safe.
