Dear all,

This item has been passed to me. I cannot vouch for its accuracy.

Regards
Harry Moseley

New Scientist reports 

 

http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14310-party-laser-blinds-russia 
n-ravers.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news9_head_dn14310

Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscow have been partially
blinded after a laser light show burned their retinas, say Russian health
officials.

Moscow city health department officials say that 12 cases of laser blindness
were recorded at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic in the city. The daily
newspaper Kommersant reports that another 17 victims have registered at
another hospital in the centre of the capital.

Ravers at the Aquamarine Open Air Festival in Kirzhach, 80 kilometres
northeast of Moscow, began seeking medical help days after the show,
complaining of eye and vision problems.

"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,"
Kommersant quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.

Forced indoors

Partygoers say heavy rains forced organisers to erect massive tents for the
all-night dance party. The damage seems to have been caused when laser beams
that were intended for outdoor use to illuminate the sky, were somehow
turned or reflected onto the crowd.

"I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun," attendee Dmitry
told Kommersant.

"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," he said.

Cosmic Connection, promoters of the Aquamarine rave, were unreachable for
comment and did not list contact numbers on their website.

'Illiterate technicians'

Powerful lasers can cause eye damage instantly by burning the delicate light
sensitive cells in the retina or by heating the fluid in the eye, causing a
small steam explosion.

Laser weapons that are intended to blind their victims were banned in 1998
by the United Nations but weapons that dazzle
<http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn9201>  (
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn9201  ) have so far escaped
censure.

The owner of a Moscow laser rental company, Valentin Vasiliev, says the
accidental blindings were due to "illiteracy on the part of technicians".

"It was partly the rain, but also partly the size of the laser. Somebody set
up an extremely powerful laser for such a small space," he says, adding that
his company did not provide the lasers at the Aquamarine event

 

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