Another Tardeo blaze victims dies; toll rises to 9

Dhawal Salkar had 9 per cent superficial burns on the face and eyes. He also had inhalation respiratory burns

Admitted with nine per cent burns, 23-year-old Dhawal Salkar, a resident of Sachinam Heights, Tardeo, died on Friday from excessive smoke inhalation. The doctors at Masina Hospital in Byculla said they fought hard to save the youth.

Several efforts were undertaken to save him despite the high costs involved in treating him. The hospital staff put in their best and did not bother about the cost involved. Many donors, including trust funds, charitable organisations and politicians worked aggressively to contribute and pool in funds to save the young boy's life. However, he lost the battle for life. The cause of his death was determined to be internal lung injuries due to excessive inhalation of smoke.

Dhawal Salkar with sister Mamta, who is also hospitalised

An official statement from the hospital said, "A 23-year-old male patient, Dhawal Salkar is a victim of burn injuries. He had 9 per cent superficial burns on the face and eyes. He also had inhalation respiratory burns. This resulted in severe ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) with bilateral ground-glass opacities in all three quadrants of both lungs. He was admitted to the hospital on January 25 at 10 am. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of our hospital and was provided with the best of care in our hospital including ECMO support in our ICU. Despite our best efforts, he succumbed to his injuries at 5:17 pm."

His parents Dilip and Shubhangi Salkar are in critical condition at Bhatia Hospital

Parents critical, clueless about death

His parents - Dilip and Shubhangi - and sister Mamta are in an equally critical condition at Bhatia Hospital. Owing to their condition, they could not be informed about their son's demise. The last rites will be performed by a few family members. The sobbing relatives did not wish to speak to the media and some of them were in a fragile state to disclose anything or even interact. However, his body has still not been collected and is at the hospital morgue.

Body still at hospital

A senior official at the hospital said, "We have allowed them to take the body, but where will they take it? At the moment they have nowhere to go as their building is sealed and houses are either damaged or inaccessible. The other three family members are critical and don't know about their son. They (extended family members) requested us to keep his body in the cold storage mortuary until tomorrow morning."

30
No. of people hospitalised in the Sachinam Heights fire