SRINAGAR: A dangerous social media-driven trend has caused severe eye injuries to more than 120 children across Madhya Pradesh during Diwali celebrations, with doctors confirming that at least 14 have been left permanently blind.
According to an NDTV report, the cause of the injuries is a crude, homemade explosive device known as a “carbide gun” or “desi firecracker gun”, which has gained alarming popularity among children and teenagers online.
Hospitals in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior have been overwhelmed over the past three days as dozens of young patients arrived with serious eye damage. At Bhopal’s Hamidia Hospital alone, 26 children were admitted, many facing irreversible loss of vision.
The improvised devices, sold for as little as Rs 150 in local markets, are made from plastic or tin pipes packed with a volatile mix of gunpowder, matchstick heads and calcium carbide. Rather than producing a festive spark, they explode violently, sending shards of metal and hot gas directly towards the user’s face.
Dr Manish Sharma, Chief Medical and Health Officer at Hamidia Hospital, according to The Indian Express, warned parents against allowing children to handle such devices, describing them as “miniature bombs disguised as toys.” He said the explosions release carbide vapours and metal fragments that burn the retina and rupture the pupils, often leading to total blindness.
Several children remain in intensive care as medical teams work to preserve what remains of their vision. Authorities have urged the public to report the sale of such dangerous items, while police have begun tracing vendors supplying the illegal firecracker guns.
Health officials and child safety advocates have also called for an immediate awareness campaign to prevent further injuries, warning that social media trends glamorising such hazardous practices pose a grave threat to public safety.
