14 kids lose eyesight in Madhya Pradesh playing with 'carbide gun' on Diwali

Bhopal: More than 60 persons, most of them children aged between 8 and 14, were hospitalised in Bhopal due to injuries sustained after using “dangerous” calcium carbide guns on Diwali, an official said on Thursday. Though there is no threat to their lives, some of the injured persons have lost their eyesight, while a few have suffered facial burns, he said. Bhopal’s Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO) Manish Sharma told, “Carbide pipe guns are very dangerous. The 60 people injured by the use of these guns are still being treated in hospitals in the state capital. All are safe.” Five persons are being treated at Seva Sadan Hospital, while others are admitted to Hamidia Hospital, JP Hospital, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The “dangerous” gun, made using a gas lighter, a plastic pipe, and calcium carbide, was in vogue this Diwali. The calcium carbide in the gun produces acetylene gas when it meets water and explodes upon contact with a spark, an official said. Experts said small plastic fragments ejected from the pipe, like shrapnel, penetrate the body, causing serious injuries and damage to various parts, especially the eyes, face, and skin. An official said that more than 150 cases of injuries due to carbide guns were reported across Bhopal city the day after Diwali, and many of them were discharged after first aid. He said a team of doctors is working to restore the eyesight of a 12-year-old child admitted to AIIMS. Treatment is ongoing for two more children at Hamidia Hospital, where nearly 10 children are admitted. Talking to reporters, the families of 14-year-old Hemant Panthi and 15-year-old Aris, who are receiving care at Hamidia Hospital, blamed the administration for the availability of the carbide gun and demanded a ban on it. Aris’s father, Sarikh Khan, said such guns should not be sold in the market in the first place. “Strict action should be taken against those who manufacture and sell these guns. Compensation should be provided to cover the children’s medical expenses,” he said. CMHO Sharma said the administration is continuously taking action against those who manufacture and sell carbide guns. In a meeting with officials on October 18, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had directed district magistrates and police officers across the state to prevent the sale of carbide pipe guns. However, the devices were sold rampantly in the market.