A tragic incident occurred in Ludhiana's Chandan Nagar area on Wednesday evening when a three-year-old girl suffered severe burn injuries after accidentally catching fire while playing with matchsticks at her home.
Details of the Incident
According to family members, the child was wearing a nylon frock, which ignited instantly and went up in flames within seconds. The molten fabric adhered to her skin, causing extensive injuries. Her father, Satpal, returned from work to find his daughter engulfed in flames. In his desperate attempt to extinguish the fire, he also sustained burns on his hands.
Delay in Medical Treatment
Sources indicate that the child was first taken to a nearby private clinic. Despite the severity of her condition, she was not admitted to the civil hospital until approximately 10 pm, nearly six hours after the incident, which reportedly occurred around 4 pm. The girl's mother, Mamta Devi, explained that financial constraints caused the delay in seeking advanced medical treatment. “I was at work when I learned about the incident. We first took her to a local doctor. Later, I asked my employer for help to arrange money and transport to the hospital,” she said.
Medical Condition and Warnings
Doctors at the civil hospital confirmed that the child has sustained approximately 60% burns and remains in critical condition. Family members revealed that all five children were at home at the time of the incident, but no one was near the victim when the fire started.
Fire officials have issued a strong warning against the use of synthetic clothing for children. Sub-fire officer Dinesh Kumar emphasized that nylon and other synthetic fabrics ignite quickly and tend to melt, sticking to the skin and worsening burn injuries. He advised parents to dress children in cotton clothes and keep them away from potential fire hazards such as lamps, gas stoves, matches, lighters, and heaters.
