What should have been a night of lights and joy turned into a nightmare for families across Bhopal and surrounding districts this Diwali, as makeshift “carbide guns” – marketed as cheap festive toys – caused severe injuries to more than 125 people, including children and the elderly.According to doctors, the number may be higher, around 200. Nearly 20 cases were reported from Gwalior, Indore (four), Sagar (three), and Bhopal (36). Most cases have come up in clinics or private hospitals. Patients are not only from Bhopal but also from Seoni Malwa, Hoshangabad, Sehore, and Narsinghpur, overwhelming eye wards.
Hospitals reported a surge in cases, with over 70 per cent involving corneal damage, leading to permanent vision loss for several victims. The devices, priced around Rs 200 and made from plastic pipes, gas lighters, and calcium carbide, explode violently upon ignition, hurling shrapnel-like fragments into eyes, faces, and bodies.