Stalking Venus

In a blind bit of news today, New Scientist Tech reports that more than two dozen ravers who attended the Aquamarine rave at the Open Air outdoor festival near Moscow, may face permanent eye damage due to mismanagement of the party’s laser effects.

Twelve cases of eye damage were recorded by the Central Opthalmological Clinic in Moscow city, and the daily newspaper Kommersant reported another seventeen victims have registered at another hospital in the centre of the capital.

Heavy rains forced the organisers of the event to erect giant tents, and move the party into them. The intensely powerful display lasers that are designed for outdoor use ended up being used inside the tents, where they swept the crowds causing the damage.

One of the partygoers spoke to Kommersant:

“I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun After three days I decided to go to the hospital. They examined me, asked if I had been at Open Air, and then put me straight in the hospital. I didn’t even get to go home and get my stuff.”

One of the treating opthalmologists told Kommersant:

“They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of vision in individual cases is as high as 80%, and regaining it is already impossible.”

Source: New Scientist Tech