A man in Chennai suffered serious burns while lighting a cigarette after using a hand sanitiser on Saturday night. Ruban (50) had just finished sanitising his hands when the incident occurred at his Ashok Nagar home, News18 reported according to sources.
Ruban's family told cops that when he got home from work, he used hand sanitiser right away, but a few drops of the alcohol-based cleanser fell on his shirt. Ruban was informed about it, but he said that he would change his shirt after a bath and went to the bathroom anyway. He lit a cigarette there, a few sparks fell on his shirt and was soon engulfed in flames, according to the officer.
His family members rushed in and took him to the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, where his condition was described as serious. According to the cop, the man had burns on his face, neck, chest, abdomen, and both hands.
Despite the fact that sanitisers evaporate within 2-5 seconds of application, doctors warn that using a cigarette or other flame-inducing object poses a risk. Since sanitisers contain up to 62 per cent ethyl alcohol, they are dangerous and highly flammable, and hence doctors recommend that they should be used with caution and allowed to dry before lighting a fire.
(Published 14 April 2021, 06:05 IST)
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