Over 40 people in Bengaluru suffered eye and burn injuries related to firecracker incidents during this year’s Deepavali celebrations, according to local hospital authorities. Between October 31 and November 1, hospitals reported a range of injuries, especially among children.
At Minto Ophthalmic Hospital, six cases of eye injuries were recorded as of Friday afternoon, with five cases involving children. Victoria Hospital also received four burn injury cases. Dr. Rohit Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya, reported a total of 15 firecracker-related eye injuries, including mild corneal abrasions and more severe issues like hyphema and epithelial defects. Shankara Eye Hospital saw 14 cases, including two severe ones on the main day of Deepavali, and Shekar Eye Hospital treated four cases, among them a 13-year-old boy with corneal abrasion and a seven-year-old with a chemical injury.
Bengaluru Police registered 56 cases of violations related to firecracker regulations during Deepavali. In line with Supreme Court guidelines, firecracker use was limited to the hours of 8 pm to 10 pm to reduce noise and pollution levels during the festival.
