Nine injured in NTPC blast shifted to Safdarjung Hospital

Nine of the seriously injured in the massive blast at an NTPC plant in Uttar Pradesh have been shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital here, five of them with critical burn injuries, doctors said on Friday.

While two were moved to the hospital on Thursday evening, seven others were brought early on Friday.

"Nine of the injured have been brought to Safdarjung. While five of them have 50-60 per cent burn injuries, the others have 25-40 per cent burn injuries," said Rajendra Sharma, the Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital.

According to Sharma, all the patients were currently at the Burns ICU.

"We have all the arrangements in place and in case more patients are to be brought, we can accommodate them. However, other hospitals are also ready," Sharma told IANS.

A green corridor was created to bring the patients to the national capital from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in view of the seriousness of their condition.

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel on Thursday night visited Safdarjung Hospital "to oversee and ensure that patients from the blast got the best medical care and treatment".

She suggested that doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital could also be brought in if necessary.

The death toll in the Wednesday blast at the National Thermal Power Corp 500MW unit at Rae Bareli rose to 30 on Thursday. The government has ordered a magisterial probe into the tragedy.

The massive explosion took place in Unchahar town unit on the Lucknow-Allahabad Highway.

--IANS

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