A Diwali plaything turns fatal: 2-year-old dies after cracker explodes in his mouth

The incident has brought into focus the risks posed by firecrackers, especially for young children. India recorded 110 accidents involving fireworks in 2024, resulting in deaths and injuries, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). (Source: File)

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A nearly two-year-old boy died after he accidentally chewed a pop-pop cracker during Diwali in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district, the police said.

A pop-pop cracker is a firecracker the size of a garlic bulb that makes a popping sound when it hits a hard surface. The incident took place in Navapara village in Sitapur block of Surguja district sometime between November 8 and 9. The victim, Aditya Manjhi, was playing outside his house when he spotted a pop-pop cracker and chewed on it, causing it to explode in his mouth.

His father, Indrajit Manjhi, said he took Aditya to the local Community Health Centre (CHC), from where he was transferred to Mission Hospital in Ambikapur, where he succumbed to his injuries on November 11.

“My son was nearly two years old. On Diwali morning, he was playing with his friends when he spotted the pop-pop cracker and put it in his mouth. It burst. I took him to the Sitapur health facility, and the bleeding stopped a bit. I took him back again the next day and he was given stitches and moved to Ambikapur. We were asked to give him blood, but he died during treatment,” said Indrajit.

Doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination also found traces of the firecracker inside the child’s throat, Manjhi said.

When contacted, the police said they were investigating the case. The chief medical and health officer at the CHC said he could not immediately comment on the issue. The administration of Ambikapur’s Mission Hospital was also unavailable for comment.

The incident has brought into focus the risks posed by firecrackers, especially for young children. India recorded 110 accidents involving fireworks in 2024, resulting in deaths and injuries, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The Union Health Ministry’s Directorate General of Health Services, citing a 2021 study, estimates an annual incidence of seven firecracker-related injuries per 1,00,000 people.

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However, the available national figures include accidents at firecracker manufacturing and storage facilities and do not provide a comprehensive picture of injuries sustained by people, particularly children, while handling or using firecrackers.

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Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the sta... Read More