Barbados: Nine-year-old boy in medically induced coma after Maynards apartment fire

Barbados: In a shocking development, the early-morning fire incident erupted at an apartment of National Housing Corporation (NHC) in Maynards, St Peter, Barbados, which left a nine-year-old boy in a medically induced coma following the rescue process. The fire at the residence left the complex with severe damage.

The Barbados Fire Service was contacted through an emergency call at around 3:46 a.m. on Sunday, September 27 following which two water tankers and multiple fire service personnel were deployed to the ten-unit housing complex. At the moment the firefighters reached the incident site, they discovered one apartment already engulfed in flames.

The nine-year-old boy was affected by smoke-related respiratory effects during the incident following which he was evacuated and rescued from the apartment before the arrival of fire-personnel.

He was taken to the hospital for medical assistance and subsequently reported to be in a medically induced state of coma, as the boy was experiencing difficulty in breathing autonomously based on the information reported on Monday. The mother of the nine-year-old boy was also affected after inhaling heavy plumes of smoke, while trying to save her son and was subsequently taken to the hospital.

Residents explained that they heard some sounds similar to explosions prior to the fire spreading across the apartment. According to one nearby local, some residents tried to help the family and evacuated others out of the building as the flames spread and smoke thickened. The fire incident severely affected and damaged the ground floor unit.

The Barbados Fire Service ultimately controlled the fire. However the higher levels of the building were not directly engulfed by the fire, officials stated that the extensive warm conditions and water-related damage made the premises unlivable.

Deteriorated windows were secured and locks were replaced by the National Housing Corporation officials afterwards, whereas emergency living arrangements were being explored for the affected family.

The circumstances surrounding the fire incident and what promoted the fire has not been officially determined. Patrick Edwards, a Divisional Fire Officer, stated that the fire did not cause any electrical equipment failure and also said that apartments in the building are under the electrical threats.

He also pointed to the poor-quality phone chargers, overburdened electrical circuits and inadequate extension cords as possible fire threats. He also appealed to the people to set up smoke alarms at their residence.