Title - Touching scenes at hospital

About a dozen passengers, who sustained burns in the Tamil Nadu Express fire accident, received treatment at the DSR District Headquarters Hospital here on Monday morning. The premises witnessed a steady stream of officials and anxious relatives arriving to take care of the patients.

The condition of two severely injured persons – Sukhdev Singh (Jaipur) and M. Sambasiva Rao (Gudiwada, Krishna district) – looked pathetic as the burns were above 80 per cent.

Sukhdev Singh was heading for Chennai along with a few others for studying a post-graduate nautical science course.

His friends, who sustained minor burns, asked the authorities to move him to a private hospital. Later, Sukhdev Singh was shifted to the Narayana Medical College and Hospital in the city for better treatment.

In the case of M. Sambasiva Rao, his wife Jhansi arrived at the hospital from T. Nagar and initiated efforts to move him to Chennai. Ms. Jhansi said Mr. Rao could talk a little and recognised people initially, but later it became difficult for him because of the increasing pain. The couple have two daughters.

Doctors at the hospital said the condition of other patients was stable as they sustained burns below 40 per cent.

Those receiving treatment included K.K. Sunil Kumar (Delhi), Hussain (Tirunelveli), Harsha (Chennai), Sandeep Agnihotri (Jaipur), Amarpreet Singh (Haryana), Rekha Veena (Chennai) and Varma (Raghavnagar).

District Medical & Health Officer Masila Mani said that the patients required good care because they had suffered from suffocation and all arrangements had been made for their treatment at the hospital.