Bhopal district administration orders ban on 'carbide gun'

Bhopal, Oct 23 (IANS) The Bhopal district administration, on Thursday, ordered a complete ban on the sale of carbide gun made and storage of raw materials used for hazardous crackers in the state capital with immediate effect.

In an order issued, Bhopal District Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh directed that district administrative officials along with police will ensure the compliance of directives.

Singh also said that the prohibitory order has been issued in the interest of public safety and to maintain the law and order.

"This notice is being issued as public advisory to ensure the safety of people. Persons failing to comply with direction in this regard will be punished as per the law," he added.

Action came after "carbide guns" -- marketed as cheap festive toys -- caused severe injuries to more than 125 people, including children and the elderly during Diwali.

It was reported that children had been playing with the carbide gun otherwise called the desi firecracker gun, around Diwali.

The result is a violent blast by the gun constructed out of tin pipes and gunpowder that severely wounds the face and eyes.

According to doctors, the number may be higher, around 200.

Nearly 20 cases were reported from Gwalior, Indore (four), Sagar (three), and Bhopal (36).

Most such cases have come up in clinics or private hospitals.

Patients are not only from Bhopal but also from Seoni Malwa, Hoshangabad, Sehore and Narsinghpur, overwhelming eye wards.

Hospitals reported a surge in cases, with more than 70 per cent involving corneal damage, leading to permanent vision loss for several victims.

The devices, priced around Rs 200 and made from plastic pipes, gas lighters, and calcium carbide, explode violently upon ignition, hurling shrapnel-like fragments into eyes, faces, and bodies.

At Hamidia Hospital, one of Bhopal's largest government facilities, doctors treated around 40 patients on Diwali night alone.

Kavita Kumar, Head of the Ophthalmology Department, described the carbide gun as a "deadly explosive" rather than a toy, as it produces acetylene gas, which ignites with a spark through an "ignitor".

"The blast scatters plastic shards like pellets, causing deep corneal ulcers and burns," she said.

Bhopal Chief Medical and Health Officer, Manish Sharma, confirmed more than 60 hospitalisations in the city, primarily children aged between 8-14 years, with more than 150 injury reports the day after Diwali -- many of whom were discharged after receiving the first aid.

--IANS

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