More than 60 people, most 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, PTI reported on Thursday.
According to Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Manish Sharma, the makeshift “carbide pipe guns” are extremely dangerous.
“About 60 people injured by these guns are currently being treated in various hospitals across the city. 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.
The so-called “guns” are crudely assembled using a plastic pipe, a gas lighter, and calcium carbide. When water comes into contact with calcium carbide, it produces acetylene gas, which explodes upon ignition. The resulting blast can propel fragments of the plastic pipe at high speeds, causing shrapnel-like injuries to the eyes, face, and skin.
Officials reported that more than 150 cases of carbide gun injuries were registered across Bhopal a day after Diwali. While many victims were discharged after first aid, several children remain hospitalised with serious injuries.
Doctors at AIIMS are reportedly working to restore the eyesight of a 12-year-old boy, while two more children are under treatment at Hamidia Hospital, which has admitted nearly 10 young patients.
Families of the injured children have blamed the authorities for allowing the sale of these hazardous devices.
CMHO Sharma said the district administration has launched a crackdown on the illegal manufacture and sale of carbide guns.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a meeting held on October 18, had instructed district magistrates and police officials across Madhya Pradesh to prevent the sale of such devices. However, despite these directives, the guns were sold widely in local markets during Diwali.
(With inputs from PTI)
