New Delhi, For the first time, AIIMS-Delhi has received cases of eye injuries caused by carbide guns during Diwali festivities, as experts demanded a ban on the manufacture, sale and purchase of such chemical firecrackers.

According to doctors, the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS recorded a notable spike in firecracker-related eye injuries this year. It received 190 eye injury cases, of which 18-20 were due to carbide guns, they said.

Last year, 160 people had sought treatment for eye injuries at the premier national referral institute for ocular trauma, during the Diwali period, said Dr Radhika Tandon, the chief of RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences.

"This time, the number has increased to 190, with more patients continuing to report even after the festival.

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