BBMP chief engineer, injured in lab blaze, dies

The BBMP in-charge chief engineer who battled for life after being seriously injured in the August 11 fire accident that engulfed the quality assurance lab (QAL) died on Wednesday at a private hospital.

Shivakumar MC (46), due for promotion as full-time chief engineer, was one of nine Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike staff who were injured in the accident in the lab located at the municipal body’s headquarters.

He suffered 25 per cent burns, particularly on the face. His colleague, Jyothi, who was also seriously injured with 28 per cent burns, had been shifted to Apollo Hospital, Seshadripuram, for further treatment. Jyothi remains critical, while the other seven, who are currently undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital, are recovering.

Shivakumar, a native of Nanjangud and who lived in RR Nagar, was a full-time superintendent engineer of the BBMP’s stormwater drain department. He was also heading the newly established QAL. He joined the BBMP in December 2005.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has conveyed his condolences to the victim’s family. Shivakumar is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Preliminary investigation into the fire accident revealed that the BBMP’s quality assurance lab was gutted after the bitumen extraction carried out using a highly inflammable substance went awry. The employees testing the bitumen extraction on the ground floor exited the building uninjured. The nine injured were working on the first floor.

‘Was brought to hospital in serious condition’

Dr Uday Davda, head of Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, said Shivakumar’s condition was already serious when he was brought from the Victoria Hospital’s burns ward.

“His lung system was in a bad shape. His lungs had become brittle due to inhaling the poisonous gas and he required very high amounts of oxygen. We tried our best to salvage the situation, but his condition deteriorated,” Dr Davda said.

In addition to burns to the upper parts of his body like the chest, arms, hands, and face, Shivakumar suffered from inhalation burns and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with Type 2 respiratory failure.

He had also suffered septic shock, which worsened over time.

The chief engineer had grade three to four burns, thrombocytopenia (very low platelet count), hypoxia (inadequate oxygen in the body’s tissues), hypercarbia (high levels of carbon dioxide), and anaemia.

Dr Davda noted that Shivakumar’s kidneys failed soon after his lungs did, and he had suffered multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). He was declared dead at 6.59 pm on Wednesday with refractory septic shock and MODS, noted a bulletin from the hospital.