At least 157 people, including 55 children, sought treatment at Jaffna Teaching Hospital following a Hindu temple festival in the Piranpatru area, with authorities investigating whether high-powered lighting installed at the venue caused the injuries.

A significant number of temple visitors have required medical attention after experiencing eye problems following a festival at a Murugan temple in Jaffna's Piranpatru area. According to the Jaffna Monitor, Jaffna Teaching Hospital treated 157 patients comprising 58 men, 44 women and 55 children. Those affected reported symptoms including eye pain, irritation and difficulty opening their eyes.

The focus of the investigation has turned to high-powered electric lamps installed around the temple grounds during the event. Police have seized several Chinese-manufactured lamps for technical examination, with authorities assessing their electrical specifications, intensity levels and whether they held appropriate approvals for public use. Photographs of the seized equipment indicate they contain internal arc-tube assemblies resembling high-intensity discharge lamps, though their exact specifications remain to be determined through testing.

Medical professionals have suggested the symptoms are consistent with photokeratitis, an acute eye surface injury caused by excessive ultraviolet radiation exposure. However, police have not yet established a definitive causal link between the lamps and the injuries. District and divisional officials have advised anyone who attended the temple on Thursday to seek eye examinations at Jaffna Teaching Hospital as a precautionary measure.

The investigation continues as authorities conduct technical analysis of the seized equipment to determine whether safety violations occurred and what triggered the widespread eye complaints.