Firecracker Powder: A Unique Source of Burn Injuries

Firecrackers are a common cause of burns in India; large-scale use of firecrackers is seen during the festival of Diwali, and patients of all age groups present with varying patterns of firecracker burns. With the recent ban of firecrackers in some parts of the country, we have noticed a new emerging cause of burns during Diwali where patients were attempting to prepare firecrackers at home using Gandhak (sulfur) and potash by mixing the materials in a pipe gun. Explosion of this powder leads to varying degree of burns, and this series reports 12 such cases who presented to a tertiary care burn unit in North India during the 2022 festival of Diwali.