CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday urged people to avoid using hand-held aerial firecrackers while celebrating Deepavali, warning that they could cause severe, even fatal, injuries.

In a press release, the government said it had received reports from volunteers and journalists about new sky-shot firecrackers designed to be held in the hand while being lit.

Holding such crackers while igniting them could cause severe burns to the head, face and hands, loss of fingers, permanent eye damage and other life-threatening injuries, it said.

It urged parents to ensure that children do not handle them under any circumstances.

The government also said high-explosive crackers, sky-shots and rockets should never be ignited while being held in the hand, and appealed to people to refrain from using hand-held aerial firecrackers available in the market, for an accident-free festival.

In its safety advisory, it asked people to place firecrackers on the ground before lighting them and to maintain a safe distance. It cautioned against trying to relight crackers that fail to go off.

Children should burst firecrackers only under the supervision of parents or elders, and households should keep a bucket of water nearby, the release said.