Over 60 injured, several children lose eyesight in Bhopal 'Carbide Gun'

Over 60 injured, most of them children aged between 8 and 14, were hospitalised in Bhopal after suffering injuries caused by the use of calcium carbide guns during Diwali celebrations

According to Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Manish Sharma, the makeshift “carbide pipe guns” are extremely dangerous.

“About 60 people injured by these guns are currently being treated in various hospitals across the city. 

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.

The so-called “guns” are crudely assembled using a plastic pipe, a gas lighter, and calcium carbide. When water comes into contact with calcium carbide, it produces acetylene gas, which explodes upon ignition. 

The resulting blast can propel fragments of the plastic pipe at high speeds, causing shrapnel-like injuries to the eyes, face, and skin.