Drunken fisherman, niece severely burnt in gasoline explosion

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:02 by GxMedia

A drunken fisherman, who carelessly disposed of a lighted cigarette, was Sunday afternoon severely burnt after a nearby plastic container of gasoline exploded and engulfed him in flames.

His two-year old niece, who was nearby, was scorched.

The injured are 20-year old Anil Ramdat and Priya Mohammed were up to late Saturday night receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Priya’s father, Kobeer Mohammed, said his daughter was scorched by the flame when her uncle sprang up during the explosion.

They live at Riverview Squatting area aback the Mahaica Hospital Compound. Anil’s father, Samaroo Ramdat, said the incident occurred on the step landing/platform where he had been sleeping next to the five gallon plastic bottle filled with gasoline.

“Her drunk and he lay down and he throw the thing (cigarette) side of the gas and he ain’t know the gasoline was right there and the heat pelt up the bottle in the air because it was filled right up and I don’t know if a little fell on the ground,” said Samaroo.

Ramdat’s father said he was told that his son’s condition was listed as critical and he has a 50 percent chance of surviving the burns to his entire body.

The injured man was said to be in an unconscious condition and receiving oxygen. He sustained a wound to his head after he fell from the step-landing of his six feet high wooden house, according to his father.

Neighbours used water from a standpipe and a gutter to extinguish the flames from the man and the house.

Ramdat was due to be taken to another hospital for a Computed Tomography (CT) scan. His father told Demerara Waves Online News that GPHC officials said he woould have to pay GUY$33,000 for the scan on Monday, an amount of money he cannot afford. He said the incident occurred at a time he was about to resuming fishing business for the first time since his wife died two years ago. The poverty-stricken man said he could not afford to buy a cellular phone, but anyone desirous of providing assistance could contact them on 680-8237.