A total of 30 cases of cracker injuries have been reported in Karnataka’s Minto Eye Hospital in the last three days. File | Photo credit: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
The festive spirit of Deepavali celebrations was marred by a spate of firecracker-related eye injuries across Bengaluru, with leading eye hospitals collectively reporting over 130 cases in the last three days. Doctors have expressed concern over this year’s high number of injuries to children and bystanders.
A total of 30 cases of cracker injuries have been reported at Minto State Eye Hospital in the last three days. Between October 21 (9:00 a.m.) and October 22 (9:00 a.m.), 14 new cases were registered – 11 treated on an outpatient basis and three requiring admission. There were 10 adults and four children.
Five patients suffered serious injuries, including four adult men and one child. The remaining nine suffered minor injuries. One patient required surgery, while 13 were treated conservatively. Among the injured were six self-inflicted people and eight bystanders. Common types of crackers were Bijli (7 cases), Atom Bomb (4), Flower Pot (1), Lakshmi Bomb (1) and Rocket (1).
Of the total 30 cases reported at Minto Hospital since the start of the festival period, six required hospitalization and three required surgery. Doctors said they expect more cases on Wednesday (October 22, 2025) night as it is the last day of the festivities.
A spike in cracker-related eye injuries was reported at Narayana Nethralaya this Deepavali, with 80 patients treated between October 19 and 22. Of these, 46 were children under the age of 18 and 27 were bystanders. Seven required surgery, while others were treated medically for injuries ranging from corneal abrasions to serious cases involving lens dislocations and corneal tears.
Naren Shetty, director of the hospital, said: “This year we have seen an alarming increase in firecracker-related injuries, with many children and bystanders injured during celebrations. A moment of carelessness can lead to life-changing injuries. Everyone must take responsibility to ensure safety.”
Sankara Eye Hospital has treated 15 cracker-related injuries since Tuesday (October 21) night, all minor and managed on an outpatient basis. Of these there were eight children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hospital Agarwal’s Eye Hospital reported six cases of minor injuries as of October 22, involving both adults and children from different parts of the city, including Shivajinagar, Koramangala and HSR Layout.
Doctors across hospitals urged the public to follow safety precautions, including keeping a distance when lighting crackers, wearing safety glasses and ensuring that children are supervised by adults.
Published – 22 October 2025 20:20 IST
