The boy, Mayur, suffered chemical burns on his eyes, hands and lips. The explosion has completely ruptured his right retina, making it improbable that he would regain vision in that eye.
Mayur's father Subhash Raut rushed him to a nearby hospital and then to a government hospital in Yavatmal, from where he was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Nagpur late on Thursday night.
"We immediately performed a surgery to prevent the infection from spreading to the brain. Unfortunately, we could not do anything to save Mayur's right eye," said Dr Rahul Dangwar, associate professor in the ophthalmology department of GMCH, who attended to Mayur under the supervision of Dr Dilip Kumre. Mayur's left eye has not been affected by the explosion, he added.
"This is the second case of this kind we have dealt with. The other was reported last year. In both cases, the cellphones were cheap, China-made models. Those buying such phones should be cautious not to overcharge the batteries, and should leave them alone when they are charging," said Dr Ashok Madan, head of ophthalmology department at GMCH.
A student of class VI, Mayur has done well in studies throughout. His teachers and family are now worried about how this will affect his life. "Other children from the village are now being kept away from mobile phones," said a villager who had accompanied the Rauts to Nagpur.
Subhash Raut, who is a farmworker, is now afraid of using mobile phones. "I would ask all parents to be very cautious with electronic devices, especially while children are around. They must avoid the situation where children treat mobile phones like toys," he said.
