Two days later: Express News cameraman still in ICU

Forty per cent of Imran Ali’s body was burnt when the bus exploded.

KARACHI: Two days after the horror of being enveloped in flames at Teen Hatti near Pir Illahi Buksh (PIB) Colony, Express News cameraman Imran Ali is still in critical condition at the Patel Hospital in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Ali was making a video of a bus set on fire following the killing of an MQM activist on Saturday, whem the bus’s gas cylinder exploded.

On Monday, his face was swollen and red because the burnt skin had started to peel off.

“The doctors warned us about possible symptoms but said they would only know more after 72 hours,” said Imran’s uncle, who has been by his side through the ordeal.

Imran’s three sisters stood outside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), awaiting some good news on their younger brother’s condition. “He was always so cheerful and happy so it is painful to him like this,” said one of the sisters, Shazia. His other sister, Sajida, said that she couldn’t bring herself to go meet him that day, adding, “My brother used to hate putting on the smallest bandages when he was injured and it’s just too much to see him plastered up like this.”

“The doctors say he is better but the next 10 days are very important,” his uncle said. With the help of hospital staff, the patient was allowed to walk around the ward for a few minutes today to keep his blood circulation going.

Meanwhile, some of the other patients who suffered burns in the incident are still at Civil hospital. “Anees, who suffered 66 per cent burns, is still in the ICU but the other patients are doing relatively better and we hope they will recover soon,” said burns centre administrator, Tariq Hafeez.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2011.