Tamil Nadu: Crackers burst to scare birds cause fire near runway; none hurt

Chennai: A patch of grass, close to the runway of the airport here, caught fire on Monday when bird watchers burst some crackers to scare away birds that pose problem in airport operations.

However, the blaze was doused immediately and no body was injured in the incident, airport officials said.

The fire was triggered when some ignited crackers fell on dry grass on Bay 55 near the runway, they said.

A fire tender was called in by the authorities who doused the flames.

Usually, crackers are burst by bird watchers before the departure or arrival of aircraft to scare away birds as they may cause mishaps if they come in contact with planes.

Last week, a similar incident had occurred near Bay 48.