KANPUR, Oct. 25 -- An estimated 85 people in Uttar Pradesh have injured their eyes after using carbide guns, homemade explosives also up for sale, according to data compiled by doctors. Many learned to make these devices through social media, which has fuelled the rising number of injuries. Blasts from carbide guns have cauwsed severe facial and ocular injuries, some of which may result in permanent vision loss. The UP State Ophthalmic Society has so far collated 60 cases from across the state, including eight from Kanpur. At LLR Hospital, 25 patients -- mostly teenagers and children -- are undergoing treatment for eye and facial injuries. The Society is collecting data on carbide gun injuries from across the state and has also begun a study into alkali injuries caused by residues from these devices. Alkali burns penetrate more deeply into the eye and can even liquefy the cornea, specialists warned. Society president Dr Malay Chaturvedi said districts reporting cases include Gorakhpur (10), Kanpur and Moradabad (8 each), and Prayagraj and Varanasi (4 each), among others, bringing the total to 60-odd documented cases. "This is a pan-India menace; the state chapter of the Society has asked all its members to notify carbide gun cases, and to record alkali injuries separately," he said, urging immediate action against what he described as a new phenomenon in festival celebrations. "Many of the injured require surgical procedures, but some may lose vision because alkali injury penetrates deeply into the eye. Those with facial injuries will have permanent scarring," Dr Chaturvedi added. "At LLR Hospital, which has received 55 burn cases this season, 25 patients suffered burns to the face and eyes attributable to carbide gun blasts," said Dr Parvez Khan, head of the ophthalmology department at GSVM Medical College. "One child was admitted on Thursday with a serious ocular injury; several others have sustained severe eye trauma," he pointed out. Kanpur district magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh said he had learnt of the severity of the situation through different quarters and had asked various departments to look into the issue. "We may consider banning these guns; I will speak to the commissioner of police," he said, adding that the device was not even a firecracker but had been taken up by people as a way to experiment with chemical reactions. "I urge parents and the public at large to monitor and discourage the use of such guns," the DM said. Commissioner of police, Kanpur, Raghubir Lal, said: "We are looking into the cases, and strict legal action will be taken in this regard." Carbide guns, also called carbide cannons or gas guns, are improvised devices that generate loud explosions or fire projectiles by exploiting the chemical reaction between calcium carbide and water. When calcium carbide contacts water, it produces acetylene gas, a highly flammable compound. The gas accumulates in a closed chamber, often a length of plastic pipe; when ignited by a spark or flame, it causes an explosion or a burst of flame, propelling objects and producing a noise akin to a firecracker or gunshot. Originally used as bird and animal scarers in agricultural fields, crude versions of the devices were made at home this year after instructional videos circulated online. Experts say such devices are extremely dangerous as the pressure generated can cause the chamber to rupture, resulting in grievous facial and ocular injuries. A step-by-step YouTube video on how to construct carbide guns, Dr Chaturvedi said, was a key factor in their rapid spread. The All-India Ophthalmic Society is now documenting the national impact. In Kanpur carbide guns were reportedly manufactured and sold by the roadside for around Rs.200 during Diwali. Those familiar with the development said that the device required little more than a plastic pipe and a lighter; the lighter fitted at the rear costs under Rs.20, and a device could be assembled in about ten minutes. "Hundreds may have been sold in and around Kanpur," one source said....