Amid the Diwali festivities this year, blind imitation on social media robbed several families of their joy. More than 200 patients injured by fireworks arrived at AIIMS for treatment, many with injuries so severe that saving their vision is proving difficult.
Senior physicians at AIIMS said that a notable number of cases involved injuries caused by home-made “carbide guns” constructed after watching YouTube. Approximately 17 patients are reported to have faces a real risk to their eyesight. Around 100 eye-injury cases were admitted to the AIIMS eye unit on Diwali itself, about 50 the following day, with more patients arriving thereafter — in total, over 200 injured people reached the hospital. After triage, roughly 30 of the most serious cases have already undergone surgery, and many required advanced ocular procedures such as amniotic membrane grafting, tectonic keratoplasty and other complex eye surgeries.
Dr. Radhika Tandon, head of the RP Centre at AIIMS, warned that dangerous videos and “watch-and-do” style tutorials available on social media are leading people into grave mistakes. She said videos demonstrating how to make and use carbide guns are widely circulated on YouTube and other platforms and should be banned immediately. These videos have ruined many households’ celebrations, and she urged the government to prohibit them.
A carbide gun is typically made by mixing calcium carbide and water inside a plastic or tin pipe; the resulting chemical reaction generates a gas that is ignited to cause an explosion. Experts say these devices may look like toys, but the blast is extremely powerful and uncontrolled. It often throws sharp particles and produces thermochemical burns to bystanders, which can cause corneal burns, destruction of conjunctival tissues and a real risk of permanent vision loss.
