Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has said today that the two victims of Friday's tragic fire at an expatriate accommodation block in ADh. Dhigurah have suffered serious burn injuries.
The fire claimed the lives of five individuals, and critically injured two. All victims of the fire were from Bangladesh.
While three of the residents suffered burn injuries, one was discharged after being treated at the island's health centre. The other two sustained far more critical injuries, and were transferred to IGMH in capital Male' for further medical attention.
An IGMH media official said today that the conditions of the two victims remain serious, with both still kept on ventilator support. They said that one victim has suffered 24% TBSA burns, while the other suffered 17%.
The two patients are also facing complications due to severe smoke inhalation, causing damage to the lungs.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the fire was caused by an exploding gas canister. However, an official statement is yet to be issued.
A Dhigurah resident said that the fire broke out while two persons living at the residence had been cooking late at night. The rest of the people living there had been asleep at the time. It has been reported that a total of 30 expatriates lived at the house.
Rescuers had to break down a wall to access trapped victims. Upon entry, police and the public assisting them initially came across five residents fallen unconscious, who they promptly transferred to the health centre. However, even by then, five of the house's residents had already succumbed to the fire.
