A festive toy has become a nightmare for Madhya Pradesh families this Diwali season. At least 14 kids have been reportedly blinded, and more than 120 others have been hospitalised with critical facial and eye wounds after playing with "carbide cracker guns" made locally, NDTV reported. The crude machines, sometimes sold as toys, are now being connected with a spate of children injuries in the state.
Disguised explosives as toys
Locally called "desi firecracker guns" or "mini cannons," these gadgets are constructed with tin or plastic pipes filled with gunpowder, calcium carbide, and matchstick heads. When lit, they make a deafening boom - and, warning doctors say, a high-pressure blast that can scorch the retina and do permanent damage to eyesight.
Despite a formal prohibition ordered by the state administration on October 18, these firecracker-like toys were available for sale freely in markets, especially in Vidisha district - one of the worst hit areas.
Doctors issue dire warnings
Hospitals in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, and Gwalior have reported a sudden jump in admissions in the past few days. Ophthalmologists claim that most of the victims are as young as six or seven years old. According to a Hindustan Times report, the doctors said that these explosives can severely damage the retina and cause permanent eye injuries, stressing that these so-called “guns” are not toys but dangerous improvised explosive devices.
Social media fueling dangerous trend
Compounding the crisis, social media sites have witnessed an uptick in videos touting the "firecracker gun challenge." A victim told NDTV that he had viewed a similar video on the internet and attempted to construct his own device at home; it blew up in his face.
Police officers claim the firearms, usually ranging from ₹150 to ₹200, are being sold as festive Diwali toys, Hindustan Times also reported. But with hospitals now clogged and kids losing their eyesight for life, the festive excitement has become a tragedy.
