NEW DELHI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 400 children in the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have been admitted to hospitals with severe eye injuries due to the use of dangerous calcium carbide guns during Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights) celebrations, Indian officials said Friday.

There are fears that dozens of children will permanently lose their eyesight.

In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, officials said nearly 200 children have been hospitalized for injuries to their eyes due to these carbide guns.

Reports said 14 have lost their eyesight.

In the eastern state of Bihar, local media outlet Patna Press said carbide guns have caused severe injuries to hundreds of children across the state, with more than 50 reported cases of blindness in the capital city of Patna alone.

"Due to a lack of consolidated data, the exact number remains uncertain, but we estimate between 150 and 200 people have suffered serious or partial injuries statewide," Bibhuti Prassan Sinha, deputy director of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, was quoted by the outlet as saying.

The situation is under control and medical teams are monitoring all cases closely, said Chief Medical and Health Officer of Bhopal Manish Sharma, according to local news agency Asian News International.

Carbide guns are crude plastic or tin pipes that use calcium carbide and water to trigger explosive sounds.

Children, unaware of the danger, often look inside the pipe if the explosion fails to go off, a mistake that can cause the blast to rupture the retina, resulting in immediate blindness.

Following the increase in injuries, local authorities in Bhopal have issued an order prohibiting the use of carbide guns in Bhopal district, while authorities in Bihar are yet to announce a ban on the sale or manufacture of these guns. ■