Hyderabad: 60 people suffer eye injuries during Deepavali, half of them below 18 yrs

At least 60 people suffered eye injuries in Hyderabad during Deepavali celebrations this year, as per the number of outpatient visits to the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital as of 9 am on November 9. Of these 60 patients who suffered eye injuries due to firecrackers, 29 were under 18 years of age. Dr Modini Pandharpurkar, Superintendent of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, told the media that 10 of the 60 patients had to be admitted to the hospital, of which eight were posted for surgery, including three children and five adults. Two of them appeared to be in a serious condition and risked losing their vision, she said. Nearly one-third of the patients were bystanders or passersby who weren’t actively bursting crackers, the doctor said. More than burns, eye injuries were mostly a result of impact from the fireworks, she added. “We formed extra teams from the past couple of days anticipating patients during Deepavali. We expect more patients to arrive from neighbouring districts today and tomorrow. We have appointed 11 doctors to be on duty 24x7 to provide treatment,” Dr Modini told the media. During the last Deepavali in 2025, the hospital had treated at least 54 patients with eye injuries, mostly caused by ‘mirchi’ bombs. The hospital has received at least 40 to 50 patients with eye injuries every Deepavali in the past four years.