Over 60 land in Bhopal hospitals due to use of ‘dangerous’ carbide guns on Diwali

What was meant to be a festival of lights and joy took a grim turn in Bhopal this Diwali, as more than 60 people, mostly children aged 8 to 14, were hospitalised with serious injuries caused by the use of dangerous calcium carbide guns, officials said on Thursday, 23 October.

Though the injured are reported to be out of immediate danger, the effects of these “explosive toys” have left some children with permanent eyesight loss and others with facial burns, casting a shadow over the festive celebrations.

“Carbide pipe guns are extremely dangerous,” said Bhopal’s chief medical health officer (CMHO) Manish Sharma. “The 60 people injured by these guns are still being treated in hospitals in the state capital. All are safe, but some have suffered serious injuries.”

The victims are spread across multiple hospitals, including Seva Sadan Hospital, Hamidia Hospital, JP Hospital, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where medical teams are working tirelessly to restore the eyesight of a 12-year-old child. Treatment continues for other children, with nearly 10 admitted at Hamidia Hospital alone.

The “carbide gun”, a makeshift device constructed using a gas lighter, a plastic pipe, and calcium carbide, has become alarmingly popular this Diwali. When calcium carbide comes into contact with water, it produces acetylene gas, which explodes upon the slightest spark. Small plastic fragments are ejected like shrapnel, penetrating the body and causing severe damage to the eyes, face, and skin.

Officials revealed that more than 150 injury cases linked to carbide guns were reported across Bhopal on the day after Diwali, with many treated and discharged after first aid.

Families of the injured children voiced frustration and demanded accountability. The parents of 14-year-old Hemant Panthi and 15-year-old Aris, both receiving treatment at Hamidia Hospital, called for a ban on carbide guns.

“These guns should never be sold in the market. Strict action must be taken against those who manufacture and sell them, and compensation should be provided for the children’s medical expenses,” said Aris’s father, Sarikh Khan.

CMHO Sharma assured that authorities are actively cracking down on the manufacture and sale of these hazardous devices. Despite chief minister Mohan Yadav’s directive on 18 October instructing district magistrates and police officers to prevent the sale of carbide pipe guns, the devices were still widely available in the market, highlighting a gap in enforcement.

As Bhopal mourns the injuries of its young children, the incident serves as a stark reminder that festive celebrations can turn deadly when safety is ignored, and the call for stricter regulation of hazardous “toys” grows louder each year.

With PTI inputs