Bengaluru firecracker godown blaze: Three victims in ICU with 17-30% burns; one in ward

The three of them are admitted to the ICU at St John's Medical College Hospital with 17% to 30% burns, while the fourth person is receiving treatment at the Mahabodhi burns ward in Victoria Hospital with 30% to 35% burns.

Three of the four people injured in the massive fire that blazed through the Attibele firecracker godown are in the ICU, authorities said.

The three of them are admitted to the ICU at St John's Medical College Hospital with 17 per cent to 30 per cent burns, while the fourth person is receiving treatment at the Mahabodhi burns ward in Victoria Hospital with 30 per cent to 35 per cent burns.

"Due to surface-level burning and soot on the skin, it is difficult to ascertain the exact extent of burns on each of the victims. We can only confirm that after another day or so," said Dr Arvind Kasthuri, Chief of Medical Services at St John's, regarding the first three victims.

Dr Kasthuri said one of them, Venkatesh, who was the customer, suffered a greater degree of burns and is critical, along with another victim, Rajesh. The third patient, Reddy, is relatively doing better. All the three have inhalational burns and swelling in their airways. The next 72 hours are crucial, especially for the two critical patients.

Dinesh, the fourth victim, was presumably running from the flames as he suffered extensive burns on his back, said Dr Ramesha KT, Head of the Plastic Surgery Department, Bangalore Medical College. However, he is in the ward and not in the ICU.

"He has suffered 30 per cent to 35 per cent burns to his upper body and limbs, with some injuries to his foot, as well. However, he does not have inhalational burns and is thus, stable and speaking to us in the ward,” he said.

Speaking to DH, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that his team was coordinating with the hospitals and the families of the victims.

“Our teams are on the ground helping with the post-mortem and hospital treatments. The government will ensure that all the injured people get the best treatment and care in both the hospitals."