Diwali firecracker injuries: 70 people hurt eyes in Hyderabad, 13 hospitalised
Synopsis
More than 70 Hyderabad residents were treated for eye injuries on Diwali night, with 13 hospitalised at a government eye hospital that kept a seven-doctor team on standby through a public holiday. Four separate fire accidents also broke out across the city, gutting factories, homes, and shops — though no lives were lost.
Key Takeaways
More than 70 people sustained eye injuries during Diwali celebrations in Hyderabad and its outskirts on 9 November 2025 .
13 patients were admitted at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam ; the rest were treated and discharged.
A team of seven doctors operated through the festival holiday to manage the emergency caseload.
AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain visited the hospital and directed staff to provide comprehensive care to the injured.
Four fire accidents were reported across Hyderabad — in Mylardepalli, Koti, Jeedimetla, Sitaphalmandai, and Secunderabad — with no casualties but significant property damage.
Doctors have urged people to take all precautions while bursting firecrackers to prevent eye injuries.
More than 70 people sustained eye injuries during Diwali celebrations in Hyderabad and its outskirts, with 13 of them admitted for inpatient care at the government-run Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Mehdipatnam, doctors said on Monday, 9 November 2025. The remaining patients were treated and discharged. The injuries were caused by firecrackers — both by those bursting them and bystanders struck by crackers lit nearby.
How the Injuries Unfolded
The first wave of 40 patients reached the hospital on Sunday night, with more arriving through Monday morning. A team of seven doctors was mobilised to manage the emergency caseload. The hospital remained operational through the festival holiday to attend to the injured.
Some patients with eye injuries from various parts of the city and its outskirts sought treatment at private hospitals instead, suggesting the actual count of firecracker-related eye injuries could be higher than the government facility's tally.
MLA Visits, Praises Medical Staff
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Majid Hussain, representing the Nampally constituency, visited the hospital to check on the injured. He met with patients' families, interacted with treating doctors, and directed medical staff to ensure comprehensive care. Hussain publicly acknowledged the hospital staff for continuing emergency services on a public holiday.
Doctors advised the public to exercise all necessary precautions while bursting firecrackers to prevent injury, particularly to the eyes.
Fire Accidents Across the City
Separately, four fire incidents were reported across Hyderabad during Diwali, with no casualties recorded in any of them, though property damage ran into several lakhs of rupees.
A decoration warehouse in Mylardepalli caught fire after a stray firecracker fell on it. Fire engines responded and extinguished the blaze, but not before the warehouse suffered significant damage. Earlier, a large fire had broken out at a plastic manufacturing factory in the same area, requiring three fire engines. The blaze spread to an adjacent plywood factory, worsened by the highly combustible material stored there. Thick black smoke billowed across the locality, triggering panic among residents. Police confirmed that firefighters successfully prevented the fire from reaching nearby industrial units.
In Koti, a residential house caught fire after a firecracker landed on the terrace. Firefighters responded swiftly and brought the blaze under control. A scrap shop in Jeedimetla also caught fire due to a firecracker, though no one was hurt. In Sitaphalmandai, Secunderabad, a firecracker shop erupted in flames after a stray cracker fell on the premises, causing loud explosions and widespread panic before a fire engine extinguished the fire. A medical distributor's shop in Secunderabad was also gutted in a separate incident.
Pattern and Precautions
Eye injuries during Diwali are a recurring public health concern across Indian cities. The cases at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital this year reflect a pattern seen annually at major urban trauma and eye care centres around the festival. Experts consistently recommend safety goggles, maintaining safe distances, and avoiding lighting crackers near crowded spaces. The scale of this year's emergency response — a seven-doctor team on a public holiday — underscores the preventable nature of most such injuries.
With Diwali celebrations continuing in parts of the city, authorities are urging residents to remain cautious to prevent further incidents.
Point of View
Predictable, and largely preventable public health event. The fact that a government hospital in Hyderabad had to field a seven-doctor emergency team on a festival holiday points to a persistent failure of public safety communication and regulatory enforcement around firecracker use. The four fire incidents — spanning a decoration warehouse, a plastics factory, a residential home, and retail shops — also raise questions about fire safety norms near cracker-sale zones. That there were no fatalities is fortunate, not systemic. Repeating doctor advisories after the fact is not a substitute for pre-festival enforcement.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were injured in Hyderabad's Diwali firecracker incidents?
More than 70 people sustained eye injuries during Diwali celebrations in Hyderabad and its outskirts, according to doctors at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. Of these, 13 were admitted for inpatient care while the rest were treated and discharged.
Which hospital treated the Diwali eye injury cases in Hyderabad?
The government-run Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, treated the majority of cases. A seven-doctor team was on duty through the Diwali holiday to manage the influx of patients.
Were there any fire-related deaths in Hyderabad during Diwali 2025?
No casualties were reported in any of the four fire incidents that occurred across Hyderabad during Diwali. However, fires at a decoration warehouse, a plastic manufacturing factory, a plywood factory, a house in Koti, a scrap shop in Jeedimetla, a firecracker shop in Sitaphalmandai, and a medical distributor's shop in Secunderabad caused significant property damage.
What caused the fire accidents in Hyderabad on Diwali?
All four fire incidents were caused by stray firecrackers landing on or near combustible material. The most serious involved a plastics factory and an adjacent plywood factory in Mylardepalli, where three fire engines were deployed. Police confirmed that firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading to nearby industrial units.
What precautions have doctors recommended after the Diwali injuries?
Doctors at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital have advised people to take all necessary precautions while bursting firecrackers, including maintaining safe distances and protecting the eyes. Eye injuries during Diwali are a recurring concern in Indian cities, and safety experts routinely recommend protective eyewear during firecracker use.
