Twenty-eight cases of eye injuries from firecrackers were reported by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Diwali, with spectators accounting for half of the cases.
Under a statement released by PGIMER on Tuesday, the institute's Advanced Eye Centre received 28 such patients—25 men and three women.
16 of the 28 patients were under the age of 15 years old.
The statement read, "Fourteen patients were spectators, and the remaining were popping crackers themselves."
According to the report, six patients were from Panchkula, and 11 were from Chandigarh. The remaining patients came from the neighboring states of Punjab (3), Haryana (5), and Himachal Pradesh (3).
"11 of the 28 patients required emergency surgery to open globe injuries… The remaining patients were treated conservatively and had minor or closed globe injuries, "says the institute.
In addition to eye damage cases, PGIMER's Plastic Surgery Department and Advanced Trauma Center received four burn injury reports from patients.
Three of the four patients suffered hand injuries from firecrackers exploding in their hands. According to the statement, they are stable and receiving treatment. It also mentioned that one patient had minor burns and received care at the plastic surgery department.