TNN Ludhiana: A three-year-old girl suffered serious burn injuries after she accidentally caught fire while playing with matchsticks at her home in Chandan Nagar area on Wednesday evening.Her family members said her nylon frock went up in flames in seconds. The molten fabric stuck to her body, leaving her severely injured.Her father Satpal said he returned from work to find his daughter engulfed in flames. He also suffered burn injuries on his hands in his attempts to douse the fire. Sources said the child was initially taken to a nearby private clinic. They added that despite the severity of her condition, she was admitted in the civil hospital only around 10 pm — nearly six hours after the incident, which reportedly occurred at about 4pm.The girl’s mother Mamta Devi said financial constraints led to the delay in seeking advanced medical treatment. “I was at work when I got to know about the incident. We first took her to a local doctor. Later, I asked for help from my employer to arrange money and transport to the hospital,” the child’s mother said.Doctors at the civil hospital said the child has sustained around 60% burns and her condition is critical. Family members said all five children were at home at the time of the incident, but no one was near the victim.Fire officials have cautioned against the use of synthetic clothing for children.Sub-fire officer Dinesh Kumar said nylon and other synthetic fabrics catch fire 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.
