67-year-old victim of bakery blast still critical

Sixty-seven-year-old Paramanandhan of Appar Street, Kodungaiyur, with 82 per cent burns is being monitored by a special medical team at the Kilpauk hospital. The new patients have been identified as Naushad and Adbul. 

However, all fire officials and policemen, who were injured in the cylinder blast, have been shifted to Apollo Hospitals at Vanagaram and Greams Road. Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar, who visited the victims, said that four, including a child out of 20 persons admitted at Kilpauk are suffering serious injuries. 

“A special team comprising 12 doctors and 35 nurses led by Dr Nirmala has been monitoring the health conditions of the victims at Kilpauk, while another team led by Dr Ponnambalanamasivayam has been treating the 10 victims admitted at Stanley Hospital,” he said. 

The minister added that the entire ward in the hospital has been converted into sterile zone and doctors have been instructed to keep antibiotics available to patients. AIADMK-PTA leader O Panneerselvam also visited both Stanley and Kilpauk hospital and enquired about the health status of the victims. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation. 

Meanwhile, Opposition leader MK Stalin criticised CM Palaniswami for lack of faclities for fire fighters in tune with the recent fire accidents. 

Recalling his speech in the House during the debate on demand for grants for police department, Stalin who visited the victims of Kodungaiyur fire accident, said the Chief Minister, who had boasted in his reply to the House that only Tamil Nadu Fire and  Rescue Services has the best fire-fighting equipment in the country, should go and see the reality himself.