Three Kashmiri men lose vision due to pellet injuries

At least 77 Kashmiri youth have been admitted to a hospital here with eye injuries due to pellet firing by the security forces amid the clashes, and three men have lost their vision so far, doctors said on Monday.

"We received 77 eye injury patients till Monday morning. At least 64 surgeries have been done so far. Three youth have completely lost their vision and many others might also lose it," Kaiser Ahmad, head of the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital here told IANS.

Ahmad said among those who received pellet injuries in the eyes are three girls, including a nine-year-old.

Saniya Aashiq, 9, is lying on a bed at the Opthalmology ward after getting hit by pellets in the on-going clashes between protesters and security forces. The doctors said Saniya might lose her vision partially.

Inside the ward are dozens of youth who have suffered pellet injuries in clashes following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in South Kashmir on Friday.

When Saniya was being shifted to the hospital, her mother was hit by a stone on her left chest amid the clashes. "Saniya was operated upon on Sunday. The doctor said she might be partially blind forever," Aashiq, her father told IANS here.

As per the state government, the pellet gun is a "non-lethal" weapon and is used to disperse mobs.

"Of the patients we received with pellet injuries in the eyes, 80 per cent of the youth might become partially blinded as they are seriously injured," a doctor told IANS on condition anonymously.

Touseef, 12, who was hit with pellets during clashes at his native town Anantnag, in restive South Kashmir can barely speak. "We are not sure if he will be ever able to see," his father Mohammad Ismail said.

"My son was among the protesters who were raising slogans for Burhan. What wrong did he do? Everyone mourned his death," he added.

Inside the ward, besides the patients, attendants and medical staff are volunteers who are helping to tend to the patients. "We have seen so much distress since 48 hours that we have forgotten the outside world," Imaad, a volunteer told IANS.

"The hospital receives a new admission every 30 minutes. Many of the injuries are fatal as most of the bullets have hit either the head or the chest," another doctor said.

--IANS

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