Overview
- Doctors in Mumbai and Indore issued public warnings on Thursday about the high risk of burns and eye injuries from Diwali fireworks.
- Cornea specialists singled out improvised carbide guns as especially dangerous because a failed shot can explode when a child looks into the nozzle, causing catastrophic eye trauma.
- Local hospital data and emergency services reports show repeated seasonal pressure: four major BMC hospitals recorded 37 firecracker burn cases in Diwali 2024, the Mumbai Fire Brigade logged 50 fire incidents during 2025 festivities, and Indore hospitals reported about 40 eye-injury cases last year with two to three needing cornea transplants.
- Clinicians gave clear first-aid rules: do not rub the eye, rinse with clean cool running water for at least 20 minutes for burns or chemical exposure, avoid home remedies or unprescribed drops, and seek an eye specialist immediately.
- Health departments advise adult supervision, open-space celebrations, wearing cotton clothes, not relighting duds, and keeping a bucket of water handy as hospitals deploy special teams to reduce long-term vision loss and ease pressure on emergency services.