Khar Danda fire: Another victim dies after developing toxic shock syndrome

On May 15, the Jaiswals – Sunil, 30, Sakubai (Sunil’s mother), 65, Priyanka (Sunil’s wife), Pratham (Sunil’s son), 6, along with Viaashka Chavan (Sunil’s niece), 7, and Nikita Mandlik, 30 – had sustained severe burn injuries when a blast occurred due to gas leakage at Jaiswal’s one-plus-one chawl residence in Khar Danda

Mumbai: A month after a fire caused by suspected gas leakage injured six people from the same family in Khar Danda, Bandra, one more victim succumbed to the injuries at the National Burns Centre (NBC), Airoli. The third victim, Priyanka Jaiswal, 29, sustained 44% burn injuries and died of septicemia – a toxic shock syndrome.

Sagar Tike, brother-in-law of Sunil said, “The hospital has waived doctor fees and stay charges. We have been asked to pay for the diagnostics and medicines. Five relatives are constantly at the hospital with the victims. This has led to a further dip in income since family members have to be there with the patients.” (HT PHOTO)

“Priyanka was doing well, but she developed septicemia, a known complication in burn injuries,” Dr Sunil Keswani, medical director at NBC, said.

On May 15, the Jaiswals – Sunil, 30, Sakubai (Sunil’s mother), 65, Priyanka (Sunil’s wife), Pratham (Sunil’s son), 6, along with Viaashka Chavan (Sunil’s niece), 7, and Nikita Mandlik, 30 – had sustained severe burn injuries when a blast occurred due to gas leakage at Jaiswal’s one-plus-one chawl residence in Khar Danda.

Sakubai and Nikita succumbed to their injuries at the NBC on May 20 and May 29 respectively.

Dr Keshwani added that Sunil, Pratham, and Viaashka are stable and recovering well. “Sunil and Prathamesh will be discharged from the hospital this week. We plan to discharge Viaashka by next week,” he said. Both the children suffered around 60% burn injuries, whereas Sunil suffered 32% burn injuries.

NBC on humanitarian grounds, has waived off the hospital stay, ICU, surgery and doctors charges and only charged money for medicines and consumables, Dr Keswani said, adding, “For any burns patient with 40% or more burn injury, medicines and consumables run to ₹8 lakh. If the hospital has to charge, it goes up to ₹20 lakh or more, depending on the condition. We had some funds and we decided to waive off the charges.”

On May 17, HT reported on their relatives’ struggle to arrange funds for the victims. The family said that they have spent around ₹23 lakh, exhausting their savings, borrowing money and selling gold for the victims’ treatment.

Sagar Tike, brother-in-law of Sunil said, “The hospital has waived doctor fees and stay charges. We have been asked to pay for the diagnostics and medicines. Five relatives are constantly at the hospital with the victims. This has led to a further dip in income since family members have to be there with the patients.”