A NINE year old boy has sustained extensive injuries due to a burst pipe filled with soda powder caused by neighbour who used cleaning acid to unclog their pipe.
The boy known as Muhammad Haidar was downstairs frying an egg at around 10pm, according to his mother Nurul Hidayah on her Facebook post, who said that the family was about to have their dinner at the time.
“A moment later, I heard a loud explosion coming from the kitchen accompanied by Haidar’s screaming. At first, we thought that it was a gas leak or hot oil that splattered since he was frying an egg in the kitchen.
“We were wrong. The kitchen pipe had burst and a strong smell emanated from there and I saw wet spots that was bubbling on the kitchen table top and in the frying pan Haidar used. It turns out that it was a type of acid the neighbour used to unclog their pipes.
“Turns out the pipe right above where Haidar was cooking had exploded. He and his father quickly ran to the bathroom to clean off the remaining acid and I told my two older children to inform the neighbour of the incident,” Hidayah said in her post.
She then said that the neighbour arrived to her house, they were apologetic but could not do much about Haidar’s injuries. This left Hidayah in a state of rage and she composed herself immediately and told the neighbour to drive her family to the hospital for treatment.
“Haidar was shivering uncontrollably on the way there maybe due to extreme pain from the acid burns on his skin and probably recoiling from the shock of the incident that made him lose control of his body,” she recounted.
Haidar was then admitted to the Red Zone emergency ward and after a full body check-up, it was found that almost most of his head was burned off by the acid.
“His hair hardened like burnt plastic and I could see the spots where the scalp was due how strong the acid was,” she added.
Hidayah also said that the doctor told her that his eyes were badly affected by the acid remnants with his iris damaged. His eyes could have a 50/50 chance of recovery.
The doctor added that Haidar would be sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur due to sustaining third degree burns in the children’s category and he is currently still in the critical red zone in Serdang Hospital closely monitored.
In another Facebook post, Hidayah reportedly updated that a physiologist was assigned to assist in Haidar’s arm and leg mobility as they are showing signs of swelling but it can be easily overcome by actively moving his body.
He is also showing signs of stable recovery with his eyes slowly improving and skin starting to heal.
Meanwhile, a report by Sinar Harian stated that the incident is being investigated currently under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means and under Section 7 of the Explosives Act 1957.
