Aarish, 15, sits on a hospital bed in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A pair of dark glasses hides a painful injury in his left eye.
His cornea was damaged a week ago when an improvised firecracker device that he bought to celebrate the Diwali festival exploded near his face, causing him to lose vision in one eye. He has undergone emergency surgery and his doctor says only time will tell how much sight he can regain.
The teenager, who doesn't go to school, says he's most worried about missing work - his father works as a gardener and Aarish repairs televisions to supplement the family income. Child labour is illegal in India, but millions of children work. Indian law allows children above 14 years to work in some industries which are seen as non-hazardous.
Aarish is among hundreds of children and young adults from at least five states across northern India who have suffered serious eye injuries from using the same kind of device - called carbide guns - during Diwali.
The carbide gun, a rudimentary device using calcium carbide in a plastic pipe, gives dramatic results - a loud blast that sounds like a gunshot, accompanied by fiery sparks. But the explosion is unpredictable and often delayed - officials told the BBC that many of the injuries occurred when children peeped inside the pipe to check just as the blast happened.
The sale and purchase of calcium carbide is regulated in India, but farmers and shopkeepers often use it to artificially ripen fruit. Police officials also say the crude guns are sometimes used to scare away animals from fields.
But many in India had not heard of these guns until last week, when a spate of injuries was reported after Diwali. Officials said these devices began flooding local markets in northern India after viral social media videos showed them being used as firecrackers.
More than 100 cases of carbide gun-related eye injuries have been reported in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal district alone, with at least 15 requiring surgery. Another 100 cases have been reported from three other districts.
In Bihar state, 170 cases have been reported, with 40 requiring surgery. The actual numbers are likely to be higher, said Dr. Bibhuti Prassan Sinha, who heads the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology in Patna city.
Cases have also been reported from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Some states, including Madhya Pradesh, have now banned the use of carbide guns as firecrackers and several sellers have been arrested.
Kavitha Kumar, head of ophthalmology at Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, says that patients have been coming in with mild, moderate, and severe eye injuries.
Some doctors expressed shock at the severity of injuries. Dr. Aditi Dubey from Hamidia Hospital said she had never seen chemical injuries caused by Diwali firecrackers and had to research what carbide guns were.
Many patients reported buying the gun after seeing it on Instagram Reels and YouTube videos. The price—around 150-200 rupees ($1.70-$2)—made it an attractive option for a loud firework experience.
Dr. Sinha highlighted that one patient, an engineering student, built the gun at home after watching videos, currently being treated after losing vision in one eye.
The need for regulatory action is critical, with calls for outright bans and stringent enforcement on the sale and manufacture of these dangerous devices. Awareness campaigns are essential to prevent further tragedies as these improvised carbide guns become popular during festive seasons across India.
