14 kids lose eyesight after playing with ‘Carbide Guns’ during Diwali in Madhya Pradesh

Diwali is meant to sparkle with light and laughter, but this year, a deadly new craze turned the festival of joy into one of tears. Across Madhya Pradesh, a makeshift toy called the “carbide gun” or “desi firecracker gun” has left at least 14 children blind and over 120 hospitalized with severe eye injuries.

In towns like Vidisha, these crude contraptions, made from plastic or tin pipes and filled with calcium carbide, matchstick heads, and gunpowder, were sold freely in local markets for just Rs 150–200. The result? Explosions are powerful enough to destroy sight in an instant.

Seventeen-year-old Neha from Bhopal, now recovering at Hamidia Hospital, recalled through tears, “It exploded in my hand… my eye burned completely.” Another victim, Raj Vishwakarma, said he copied a YouTube video to make one at home and lost an eye when it blew up in his face.

Doctors describe the injuries as horrific. “These devices release metal fragments and toxic vapours that burn the retina. Many children’s pupils ruptured, leading to permanent blindness,” warned Dr. Manish Sharma, CMHO, Hamidia Hospital.

Vidisha police have arrested six people for illegally selling these “guns,” but social media continues to fuel the danger. On Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, videos tagged #FirecrackerGunChallenge show teens firing them for likes, unaware of the deadly risk.

As hospitals overflow and families grieve, one thing is clear: this Diwali’s lesson is a painful one. No trend, no reel, no thrill is worth a child’s vision or their life.