Fire temple blaze: Priest dies of cardiac arrest 2 days after incident

The 74-year-old priest who suffered 40% burns while attending to the holy fire at Aslaji Bhikaji Agiary in Grant Road on Saturday passed away at Bhatia Hospital,

The 74-year-old priest who suffered 40% burns while attending to the holy fire at Aslaji Bhikaji Agiary in Grant Road on Saturday passed away at Bhatia Hospital, Tardeo, on Monday morning, owing to cardiac arrest.

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The priest, who had been working at the temple for the past two years, was performing prayers on Saturday morning, when his robe caught fire.

Bhatia Hospital doctors who attended the priest said that owing to his age, his body could not take the stress of the extent of the burns, which led to cardiorespiratory failure.

“A 74-year-old man, resident of Gamadia Colony at Tardeo, was brought to Bhatia Hospital on Saturday. He had suffered 40% thermal burns from a fire, most of which were second degree deep burns,” read the statement from the hospital.

The doctors who had attended the priest said that an accidental death report was registered at Tardeo police in the incident. After his death, the priest’s family requested the hospital not to conduct a post-mortem on religious grounds.

However, Firoz Bagwan, senior inspector of Tardeo police station, said the police had not received any complaint about the incident.

“The last rites of the priest took place on Monday evening. He was taken to the hospital and the doctors tried their best to save him, but he suffered a cardiac arrest due to his age,” said Farhad Bagli, manager of the agiary.

The temple administration said it would provide financial assistance to the priest’s wife. Burjor H Antia, trustee of Aslaji Bhikaji Agiary, said, “It is an unfortunate incident that a priest lost his life inside the agiary. But, the entire medical expenses will be borne by us and we will also provide aid to the widow of the priest.”

Community members said that this is the third such incident in a decade in the city in which a priest had suffered burns while attending to fire. However, the previous two incidents were not fatal.

The agiary, which was consecrated in 1865, houses a second grade of consecrated fire according to Zoroastrianism. The priests at every Zoroastrian place of worship cater to the fire round the clock, as they treat it like a living entity.