The death toll in Sunday’s forest fire in Kurangani in Theni district rose to 14 with the death of M. Anu Vidhya, 25, from Chennai and G. Kannan, 26, from Kavindapadi in Erode district at the Government Rajaji Hospital here on Thursday.
D. Maruthupandian, Dean, Government Rajaji Hospital, said Ms. Vidhya, who had sustained 90% burn injuries, died due to multiple organ failure around 6 p.m.
She was on dialysis since Wednesday following renal failure.
Avid trekker
Ms. Vidhya, a psychologist, was a strong-willed woman, an avid trekker and a fitness enthusiast, her uncle S. Kumaran earlier told The Hindu.
She was part of the 24-member trekking expedition to Kozhukkumalai organised by Chennai Trekking Club.
Mr. Kannan, who was on ventilator support with 70% burn injuries, had a cardiac arrest, resulting in his death at 4.15 p.m.
Mr. Kannan, an engineering graduate, was employed in a textile company. He was part of the 12-member team from Erode and Tirupur district that went on the trekking expedition.
Both the teams were caught unawares by the wildfire on their way back from Kozhukkumalai to Kurangani. Of the 36 people, 14 died. Among the 12 people undergoing treatment, two are at GRH, six are at three private hospitals in Madurai, and two are at private hospitals in Chennai, one each in Coimbatore and Erode. Barring four people, rest all have sustained more than 50% burn injuries.
G. Kannan (inset) of Erode died of Theni forest fire on Thursday.
Dr. Maruthupandian said that the condition of the two patients at GRH continued to remain critical.
An expert team from the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, including its former Head of the Burns Department V. Jayaraman, have been camping at GRH since Wednesday, providing guidance to the team here.
Earlier, the death toll, which stood at 11 on Tuesday, went up to 12 on Wednesday night as V. Divya, 23, from Kinathukkadavu near Pollachi, who sustained 90 % burns, died at Grace Kennet Foundation Hospital in Madurai.
Ms. Divya’s husband D. Vibin, 30, was among the nine people who died at the spot. Another couple N. Vivek and V. Divya from Kavindapadi in Erode district are also among the victims. Vivek died at the hills, while Ms. Divya died at GRH.
