AIIMS Delhi Reports 190 Eye Injuries Due to Firecrackers and Carbide Guns During Diwali
AIIMS Delhi recorded 190 eye injury cases during Diwali 2025, a 19% increase from last year. Notably, 18-20 injuries were caused by hazardous carbide guns, homemade devices producing powerful chemical blasts and shrapnel-like fragments. Most victims were young males, with many sustaining severe injuries requiring surgery and some facing permanent vision loss. Experts highlight the urgent need for stricter regulation and prohibition of carbide-based firecrackers.
During the 2025 Diwali period, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, reported 190 cases of eye injuries related to firecrackers and the newly emergent hazard of carbide guns, marking a 19% increase compared to 160 cases last year. The Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS documented that out of these, 18-20 injuries were due to carbide guns — crude, homemade devices made from PVC pipes and calcium carbide that generate acetylene gas when reacting with water, causing violent explosions and releasing metal hydroxide fumes and plastic fragments that act as shrapnel. These injuries often resulted in severe chemical and thermal burns, permanent corneal scarring, irreversible vision loss, and in many cases, required urgent surgical intervention. About half of the cases were open globe injuries, with 25% causing severe visual impairment and 25% moderate impairment. The majority of patients were males under 20 years old, and around 60 children underwent eye surgery. Experts, including Dr. Namrata Sharma and Prof. Mandeep Bajaj, stressed the failure of existing regulations, particularly due to cross-border firecracker availability in Delhi-NCR, and called for a ban on carbide-based firecrackers, stricter interstate enforcement, better monitoring of online sales, and public education on eye protection and trauma management. The new trend of carbide gun injuries represents a disturbing escalation in ocular trauma during the festive season and demands urgent government action to prevent further harm.
