Chandigarh, Oct. 23 -- In the aftermath of Diwali celebrations, 53 new cases of firecracker-related injuries were reported at PGIMER since Tuesday morning, taking the total number of cracker-related incidents in the city to 368. Of the fresh cases, 43 involved eye injuries, while 10 were related to burns, according to hospital authorities. The advanced eye centre at PGIMER recorded a total of 69 Diwali-related eye injury cases so far. This includes 26 cases reported between 8 am on October 20 and 8 am on October 21, followed by 30 cases on Tuesday, and 13 additional cases received by 5 pm on Wednesday. Among the 30 cases reported on Tuesday, 27 were males and three females. Significantly, 17 patients suffered self-inflicted injuries, while 13 were bystanders. Medically, 13 cases involved closed globe injuries and 17 were open globe injuries. Most patients suffered unilateral eye injuries, while two sustained bilateral eye damage. The youngest victim was a five-year-old child, and the oldest was 58 years old. Of the total, 18 were children and 12 were adults. So far, two patients have undergone surgical repair, while two more surgeries are pending. "This surge in eye injuries during Diwali is deeply unfortunate. We urge parents to strictly supervise children, and the public to prioritise safety and avoid hazardous firecrackers to prevent such preventable tragedies," said SS Pandav, head of the department of ophthalmology and advanced eye centre at PGIMER. Meanwhile, the department of plastic surgery reported 17 cases of burn and blast injuries linked to firecrackers - seven reported earlier and 10 on Wednesday. Among these, seven patients suffered hand injuries from crackers bursting in the hand, three had facial injuries, and two sustained foot injuries requiring orthoplastic intervention....