27 patients who suffered burn injuries in Neeleswaram fire tragedy shifted to Mangaluru

Mangaluru: 27 people including three children were injured in firecrackers blast at Anhoottambalam Veerarkavu temple in Neeleswaram in Kerala are undergoing treatment at AJ Hospital in Mangaluru.

17 year-old Dhanush, enrolled at an Industrial Training Institute in Neeleswaram, had suffered 50 per cent burn injuries.

"Just few hours before the tragedy, he was walking around cheerfully and now he is battling between life and death," his uncle Biju lamented. Dhanush, the only son of Ajith Kumar and Nabeena, a couple from Cheruvathur village near Neeleswaram, is one among 27 patients receiving treatment at the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of A J Hospital.

Biju recollecting the blast said, "Dhanush went to the temple’s annual festival with his friends on Monday night. The festival which lasts through out the night, attracts thousands of devotees from surrounding villages. We were shaken with the news of the midnight firecracker tragedy. All the wards in nearby hospitals were crammed with injured patients. Dhanush has suffered burns on his chest, face, shoulder, stomach and arms."

Anup K from Thaikkadapuram in Neeleshwaram suffered burn injuries on both his legs, hands, shoulder and back. He has been working as a sales representative of a Coconut Oil Company and had married recently.

His uncle Ramesh, who accompanied him at the hospital, is cursing all those responsible for the disaster that has affected his nephew’s future. He alleged that no safety measures were taken by temple authorities while storing the fireworks. Action should be taken against those responsible for the mishap in which many people had suffered injuries.

“My son’s friend called to inform us of the disaster. I rushed there in the middle of the night, and I was stunned at the sight of my nephew’s condition,” Ramesh said with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Atul Babu K V from Cheruvathur village worked at a coffeehouse. His face, chest, and hands had suffered burn injuries and is currently receiving treatment in ICU. “Such a tragedy had never taken place at the annual festival of Neeleshwaram Temple in Kasaragod district. Atul is my brother’s only son. It’s painful to see him lying in ICU at such a young age,” said Ajay Kumar from Cheruvathur.

All burn wards in hospitals across Kasaragod district were fully occupied. After searching for hospitals, we finally shifted Atul Babu to A J hospital in Mangaluru for treatment based on the advice of an ambulance driver, Ajay said.

The injured patients admitted in the hospital had been identified as P Babu (58), K V Sindhu (48), Abhiram K V (23), Rajith K V (35), Sanoj (41), Atul Babu K V (20), Leena (52), Anoop K (36), Dhanush (17), Rajendran (62), Vijayan P K (64), Ramachandran A V (70), Nitheesh P (29), Kripesh C (27), Sanoj K (40), Saayan Dev (4), Surya Dev (9), Bharathan K (73), Adthul Prasad (8), Prasad T K (46), Sreehari M (18), Shivani (7), Suraj (39), Alen (24), Preethika, Radhika and Narayan (60). Among the admitted, eight are in BICU, five in SICU and three are at PICU.