Title - 9 victims of TN Express fire critical

The health condition of nine passengers, who suffered severe burns and lung injury due to smoke inhalation in the fire accident in Tamil Nadu Express on Monday, continued to remain critical, with the  condition of two deteriorating fast. Officials are making arrangements for shifting all the victims to Chennai from Narayana General Hospital here for better treatment.

According to hospital authorities, the nine patients are on ventilator support and their condition is ‘stable but critical’. Though the patients are responding to treatment, the hospital authorities have recommended shifting them to Chennai. They said the patients are responding to the doctors during treatment and are able to communicate their problems.

Narayana hospital assistant professor Dr M Srinivasa Rao said the condition of Sukdev Singh (23) of Amritstar, who suffered 55 per cent burn injuries, and Bansal of Agra (57), who received 50 per cent burns, was deteriorating fast, despite being treated in the intensive care unit. He said Aman Preet Singh (18) of Ambala, Veena (29) of Madurai, Rekha (42) of Chennai, Sarala Pareku (65), Koteswara Rao (22) and Srinivasa Varma (23) of Vijayawada, and Koushik (1) of Madurai suffered 25-35 per cent burns and their condition was stable but not out of danger.

“Right now, we are not sure about their health as they had inhaled a huge quantity of carbon monoxide, which is highly poisonous, during the inferno. They could not inhale sufficient oxygen or the lungs are not cleared even several hours after the mishap. They can be assumed to be out of danger only if they sustain for three days without ventilators,” said Rao.

Family members of the deceased underwent a harrowing experience for the third day as DNA reports for handing over the bodies were yet to be furnished. None of the charred remains of the 17 deceased persons were handed over to the bereaved families, as officials refused to do it without scientific confirmation leaving no room for error.