Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:53am on 23 Oct 2025,Thursday India
In Madhya Pradesh, a festive craze has turned tragic: at least 14 children have been permanently blinded and over 120 hospitalized after playing with makeshift “carbide guns” — crude fire-cracker devices combining tin pipes, gunpowder and calcium carbide — during the Diwali celebrations. Hospitals in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior are overwhelmed with eye-injury cases. The worst-affected region, Vidisha, saw these banned devices being openly sold despite a government ban issued on October 18. Doctors warn the device is not a toy but an improvised explosive causing retinal burns and potentially irreversible damage.
