More than 60 persons, most of them children aged between 8 and 14, were hospitalised in Bhopal due to injuries sustained after using “dangerous” calcium carbide guns on Deepavali, an official said on Thursday (October 23, 2025).
Though there is no threat to their lives, some of the injured persons have lost their eyesight, while a few have suffered facial burns, he said.
Bhopal’s Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO) Manish Sharma told PTI Videos, “Carbide pipe guns are very dangerous. The 60 people injured by the use of these guns are still being treated in hospitals in the State capital. All are safe.” Five persons are being treated at Seva Sadan Hospital, while others are admitted to Hamidia Hospital, JP Hospital, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
The “dangerous” gun, made using a gas lighter, a plastic pipe, and calcium carbide, was in vogue this Deepavali. The calcium carbide in the gun produces acetylene gas when it meets water and explodes upon contact with a spark, an official said.
Experts said small plastic fragments ejected from the pipe, like shrapnel, penetrate the body, causing serious injuries and damage to various parts, especially the eyes, face, and skin.
