Hyderabad, Nov. 9 -- At least 179 people suffered firecracker-related injuries in Hyderabad between Saturday night and Monday afternoon (November 7 to 9), most of them to the eyes, according to figures from four hospitals in the city.

The LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) treated 92 firecracker injury cases across two nights. The eve of Diwali was relatively calm. Between 7 pm on Saturday, November 7, and 7 am the next morning, the hospital saw only two minor cracker injuries, neither of which required surgery.

Diwali night was a different story. Between 7 pm on Sunday, November 8, and 5 am on Monday, November 9, LVPEI recorded 90 cracker injuries. Doctors advised surgery in 25 of these cases and planned 22 operations, six of which had be...