BENGALURU: Multiple incidents of firecracker-related eye injuries were reported across the city during the Deepavali festivities from October 29 till Thursday night.
Minto Hospital reported three incidents since Tuesday. An 18-year-old bystander was seriously injured in a cracker burst on October 29. On October 30, a five-year-old boy, Idris Khan, sustained a cracker injury bursting crackers in Kanakapura. He was brought to the hospital with a full thickness corneal tear, iris prolapse and total hyphema in his right eye. On Thursday, a 17-year-old youth was admitted with cracker injuries and is currently under conservative supervision.
Narayana Nethralaya handled three such cases, with two incidents, including one involving a young girl, treated at the Rajajinagar branch and one case at the Bannerghatta branch.
Shekhar Eye Hospital also recorded two cases. A seven-year-old child suffered a corneal abrasion on Wednesday night, requiring pad and bandage treatment and a 69-year-old individual reported an eyelid injury on Thursday.
Sankara Eye Hospital near Kundalahalli Gate saw three serious incidents. A three-year-old girl suffered a corneal injury due to a third-party incident while a 10-year-old boy experienced self-inflicted injuries after lighting a firecracker. He had approached the cracker to see why it had not burst, resulting in a delayed explosion that caused significant damage. Medical professionals are currently awaiting a retina evaluation for the boy. An eight-year-old boy sustained a serious injury with an iris prolapse and surgery was performed.
Parents and guardians are urged to exercise caution and supervise children closely when firecrackers are being burst. For injury-related assistance, people can call helpline numbers: 080-69038900 and 9739883996 (Sankara Eye Hospital), 83101 60947 (Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital).