Bengaluru, Nov 1: Over 40 people sustained eye and burn injuries due to crackers during Deepavali in two days this year in the city, hospital authorities said on Friday.

The government run Minto Ophthalmic Hospital reported six cases of eye injuries till 2 pm on Friday and five among them were children. The Victoria Hospital reported four cases of burn injuries, they said.

The city's Narayana Nethralaya said the hospital witnessed a significant increase in firecracker-induced eye injuries.

"From October 31st to November 1st (until 11 am), a total of 15 patients with firecracker-related eye injuries were reported," said Dr Rohit Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya.

The injuries ranged from mild corneal abrasions to severe cases involving hyphema and epithelial defects, he said.

Shankara Eye Hospital reported two severe cases on the day of Deepavali (Thursday) and 12 cases today, a hospital official said.

Four cases of eye injuries were reported in Shekar Eye hospital from October 31 and November 1 till 5 pm. This includes cases of 13-year-old boy for corneal abrasion and that of a seven-year-old boy due to chemical injury caused due to crackers, the official said.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police said they has registered 56 cases of firecracker regulation violations in the city from October 31 to November 1 during the Deepawali this year.

In accordance with the Supreme Court directives, bursting of firecracker was permitted only between 8 pm and 10 pm during Deepavali.

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Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Saturday alleged that the voters were intimidated and threatened by the ruling BJP regime. Rai's remarks came as counting for nine Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh shows a strong performance by the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

“It was already decided in UP that the BJP is fighting the elections with the help of its machinery. The result of that has come out. All the machinery of the government, from police to administration, was deployed. Voters were intimidated and threatened. This is a complete murder of democracy,” Rai said, as reported by Hindustan Times.

According to latest ECI trends the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is performing strongly. Out of the nine Assembly constituencies where bypolls were held, the BJP is leading in five seats—Kundarki, Khair, Ghaziabad, Phulpur, and Majhawan. Its ally, the RLD, is ahead in Meerapur. The Samajwadi Party (SP), however, is not far behind, leading in three constituencies: Karhal, Katehari, and Sisamau.