Deepawali Celebrations Spark Surge in Eye Injuries at KR Hospital

The 2025 Deepawali celebrations in Mysuru have seen a concerning spike in eye injury cases at KR Hospital. In the five-day period from October 19 to 23, the hospital has reported 15 such incidents, a significant increase from just 4 cases during the same timeframe last year.

Among the injured, two individuals have suffered devastating consequences. 38-year-old Manju Nayaka and 13-year-old Puneeth both tragically lost vision in one eye after mishandling firecrackers without wearing any protective eyewear. Doctors have noted that the majority of these injuries were caused by the unsafe and careless bursting of crackers, coupled with a lack of basic safety precautions.

In another incident, 54-year-old Nagaraju sustained eye injuries when stray firecracker fragments hit him while he was walking near Metagalli. Dr. Satish K, the principal of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI) and head of the ophthalmology department, has expressed grave concern over the growing number of these preventable cases.

"Most eye-related injuries occurred due to carelessness. Simple protective measures like wearing safety glasses could have prevented these tragedies," Dr. Satish emphasized. He added that the increasing use of highly explosive firecrackers has further exacerbated the situation, urging the public to understand the risks and adopt safety measures during the celebrations.

Hospital authorities have now appealed to the public to exercise extreme caution while handling fireworks and to closely supervise children during the festivities. They hope that this surge in eye injuries will serve as a wake-up call, prompting people to prioritize safety and prevent such devastating incidents in the future.