Secunderabad, Nov 10 (IANS): The South Central Railway (SCR) zone has advised passengers not to carry firecrackers in the light of forthcoming Diwali festival.

"Railways passengers are advised not to carry inflammable, explosive materials and fire crackers in trains, endangering the safety of passengers and railway assets," said an official on Tuesday.

Carriage of dangerous and offensive goods is prohibited under Section 67 of Railways Act 1989 and punishable under Section 164 of the Railways Act 1989.

The railway zone has already intensified checks for the forbidden material by setting up special teams and quick reaction teams at all important stations to look for disobeying passengers and parcels.

It has deployed the services of sniffer dogs and plain clothes staff, fortified by cctv monitoring and skilled staff.

Likewise, SCR zone has also enabled passengers to report violations.

"In the interest of public safety, SCR requests passengers that in case they notice fire crackers or any other suspicious material in trains or at stations, they may immediately inform the nearest railway staff," he said.