Lankan blaze victim’s body to be repatriated

The body of a Sri Lankan housewife, who died from third degree burns after a fire broke out in her apartment in Bahrain, will be repatriated tonight. Woshintha Thushari Kuruppu Arachchige was pronounced dead at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) last Tuesday, eight days after she was admitted.

 

The GDN reported on Friday that the 35-year-old and her husband Lalith Kumara, 38, had just moved to their new flat in Sitra, according to officials.

 

The fire broke out at around 11.30pm on July 5 when the couple were cleaning the house and Ms Arachchige used thinner to clean the glue on the carpet.

 

As there was no electricity and the rooms were dark, Mr Kumara accidently lit the lighter to see what his wife was doing and the thinner caught fire.

 

Mr Kumara tried to put out the blaze with his hands to stop it from spreading to other parts of the flat, he added.

 

However, the fumes of the chemical spread in the room and Ms Arachchige’s clothes caught fire.

 

She reportedly rushed to the bathroom and stood underneath the shower to put out the fire.

 

She suffered third degree burns and Mr Kumara’s hands were also burnt.

 

The couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Mindy, who was sleeping in her bedroom, escaped unhurt.

 

She was sent back to her grandparents as Mr Kumara was unable to take care of her due to his injuries.

 

“I have been so confused and tense for the past days as I lost my loving wife. I am all alone now after sending my daughter back to Sri Lanka since I can’t take care of her due to my injuries,” Mr Kumara told the GDN.

 

“I am planning to accompany my wife’s body to Sri Lanka and seeking help from my company in this regard.

 

“Hopefully, I will be able to perform last rituals at the funeral, plus be with my daughter for sometime as I already miss her so much.

 

“I need to be away for a while and try to get over what happened.”

 

Honorary consul general P B Higgoda said Ms Arachchige’s body would be repatriated tonight.

 

“We were earlier unable to sort all the legal formalities as police were still investigating,” he told the GDN.

 

“However, now the investigation is over and they have agreed to issue a release letter.

 

“We will get the death certificate attested from the Foreign Ministry and then provide all the documents to Mr Kumara’s company to do the rest of the job.”

 

Mr Higgoda earlier visited SMC to follow up issues related to the Sri Lankan community.

 

Mr Kumara works as a graphic designer for Alraja Printing Press.

 

Company sales manager Mahboub Samy said they were following up with SMC’s morgue and the ministry to repatriate the body, Gulf Daily News reports.