More than 180 people, several of them children aged between 8 and 14, were hospitalised in Bhopal after suffering injuries caused by the use of “calcium carbide” guns during Diwali celebrations, as part of a viral social media trend that transformed the festive season into a public health crisis across Madhya Pradesh.

According to data provided by the Bhopal district hospital, a total of 186 persons sustained eye injuries in Diwali. Ten of them sustained permanent eye damage, 15 had to undergo surgery, 154 were referred to the OPD, and 32 to the in-patient department.

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Manish Sharma told The Indian Express : “There is no threat to their lives; some of the injured persons have sustained damage to their eyesight, while a few have suffered facia

See Full Page