Death toll in Kodungaiyur bakery fire rises to 3

Abimanyu (40) of KKT Nagar was declared dead in the wee hours of Thursday. Earlier, 67-yearold Paramanadhan from Appar Street, Kodungaiyur, with 82 per cent burns was the second to succumb  late on Wednesday night. Fireman Egaraj (56) from Virudhunagar district died within hours of the accident, due to burn and head injuries. 

P Vasanthamani, Dean, Kilpauk Medical College Hospital said, “Abimanyu had sustained only 41 per cent burns, but a CT scan revealed fractures in the skull. He also had a respiratory infection. Despite our best efforts, he couldn’t be saved.” According to her, when a person suffers burns below 20 per cent, the chances of survival are 95 per cent, while those with over 70 per cent burns have a recovery rate of less than 20 per cent. However, the number of victims being treated in the intensive care unit remains high at 14, including two victims who were shifted from Apollo Hospitals to Kilpauk on Wednesday. “Of the two, Anandhan’s condition remains critical, while Mayilvaganan is still not out of danger,” the Dean said. 

Among the injured, 10 patients have undergone collagen cover treatment. “The remaining victims will also be treated in the coming days. Collagen cover alleviates pain and makes the healing faster,” said the Dean. She also added that there is enough stock of antibiotics and sedatives and other equipment for another month to treat the victims. Apart from the bakery accident victims, 10 others are undergoing treatment at Stanley Hospital. 

The bakery, Om Muruga Hot Chips, located at the junction of Meenambal Road and SIDCO Main Road, caught fire around 11 pm on July 15 killing fire fighter Egaraj and injuring 47, including three firemen and three police personnel who were standing there either watching the incident or trying to capture the rescue operations on their mobile phones.