Nine of 12 victims at SCB Hospital didn’t bear burn injuries, could’ve died of suffocation

Bhubaneswar: Doctors after examining the SCB fire victims said on Wednesday that at least nine of the 12 victims had possibly died of suffocation with only three of them bearing external burn injuries.Some of the samples have been sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL), Bhubaneswar, for chemical analysis and organ study to determine more specifnc detils behind ths deaths in the trauma care ICU fire. A professor from the medical college said autopsies had been completed. “After getting reports from there, we will submit our final report to govt within next two days,” said the doctor.Chemical analysis is used to detect foreign substances or abnormal metabolic levels in the body. It reveals the cause of death and estimate time passed since death.Organ study involves testing tissues and organs to identify disease or damage. It enables pathologists to check for pre-existing damage that may have made the person more susceptible to a toxic substance. It can reveal the duration of bruises or injuries to determine if injuries were recent or pre-existing.Another doctor said smoke after the fire incident engulfed the first floor of the trauma care ICU. Patients were asphyxiated and suffered respiratory burns due to the thick smoke. Fire did not burn many, as patients were rescued immediately after the ICU caught fire. “That’s why the bodies of the majority of the patients were not burnt. Inhalation of toxic gas after the fire inside the ICU might have killed the patients. The chemical analysis of the samples may reflect this,” said the doctor.The govt’s fact-finding team has also submitted its report after probing the matter. Three patients, shifted from the trauma care ICU, are undergoin