Twenty-seven cases of firecracker-related eye injuries were reported by the PGIMER hospital here on Diwali, officials said on November 8.

These people from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh suffered eye injuries during Diwali festivities on November 7 and came to the emergency services department of PGIMER, Chandigarh, for treatment, they said.

They include 20 males and seven females and only 11 of them are above 16 years of age, they added. Hospital officials said the youngest among the injured is a two-year-old. Of the 27 patients, 11 were injured while lighting firecrackers, while the remaining 16 were bystanders, the officials said. Twelve patients required surgical intervention and injuries of eight of them are serious, they said.