Factory fire toll 9 as four more succumb

Nagpur: With four more workers injured in last week’s Nitika Pharmaceutical factory fire succumbing to their injures, the death toll in the mishap has reached nine.
On Friday, Amol Kawle (25) and Yuvraj Patil (30) who had 70% burn injuries each died in Orange City Hospital and Research Centre (OCHRI). Another Vikas Sontakke (23), with 45% burns, had died in OCHRI on Thursday night while Yogesh Alone (23) with 90% burns died at KRIMS on Thursday.
Doctors at OCHRI said three patients Mohd Zafar (22), Hemraj Ninawe (22) and Nayan Tingle (23) with excessive respiratory injury are very critical with little chance of survival.
“Alone was severely critical and had least chance of survival since the beginning,” KRIMS director Dr Ashok Arbat told TOI.
Doctors stated Kawle and Sontakke died as a result of acute cardio-respiratory arrest, while Patil went through respiratory arrest. All the three were suffering with injury on account of inhaling excessive smoke and chemicals, OCHRI director Dr Anup Marar said.
On December 2, the night the fire broke out, 20 injured workers were rushed to the hospital. Nineteen of them were taken to IGGMCH while one was admitted to Orange City Hospital. Thirteen of IGGMCH patients were also later shifted to OCHRI and two were taken to KRIMS. Both the patients at KRIMS have succumbed while eight remain under treatment at OCHRI, four of them are critical.
Sandip Pankule (28) who had suffered 98% burns had died at IGGMCH on Dec 3. The next day while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited OCHRI to see the patients and met their families, Pandurang Kandrikar’s body was found under the debris at factory site. Kandrikar, a worker at the factory was reported missing after the incident. On December 6, Vishal Pathe (30), who had suffered 68% burns, died at KRIMS while Sanket Kamble (18) who had suffered 50% burns died at OCHRI. They were followed by Dyneshwar Raut (24) who also died of cardio-respiratory arrest with 45% burns on Dec 7 at OCHRI.