A two-year old girl from Macao who was severely injured during last Thursday’s department store explosion in the Taiwanese city of Taichung is still fighting for her life, according to multiple media reports.
The girl currently remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) in Taichung, after undergoing an emergency craniotomy procedure to relieve her severe head injuries.
Last Friday, CMUH neurosurgeon, Yu-Kai Cheng, said the child’s vital signs remained stable, but suggested that she not be transported to Macao for the time being.
Meanwhile, the director of the Children’s Neurology Department at CMUH, Chou I-Ching pointed out that the week ahead would be a “critical period” for the patient.
As of yesterday, the toddler was still receiving medication and hypothermic treatment. Hospital officials told local media they were currently focused on lessening pressure on the patients’ brain, reducing the risk of infection, as well as stabilising her heart rate and blood pressure.
Media reports note that the girl and her mother were driven to the nearest hospital, Cheng Ching Hospital, by a 58-year old Taiwanese man identified by the surname Tsai.
Six members of the toddler’s family were also caught up in the blast. They were passing by at ground level, when an explosion on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi store sent debris cascading down to the street.
[See more: Three people from Macao remain hospitalised following the Taichung explosion]
Two of her relatives were killed, while another four were injured. The fatalities were the girl’s 58-year old grandmother and 56-year old grandfather, who were both killed by falling concrete.
At a Public Security Police Force press conference reported by Macao media on Friday, the authorities revealed that the grandfather was a retired member of the police force.
The grandmother meanwhile was confirmed to be a staff member who had worked at Macao’s Hotel Fortuna for two decades. In order to provide the family with financial and medical support, Hotel Fortuna recently dispatched a senior management member and a doctor from Yinkui Hospital to Taichung.
Apart from the girl, two other members of the Macao family remain in the hospital, including her 85-year old great-grandmother and her 24-year old uncle, who is a member of the Police Tactical Intervention Unit. Both are recovering in the general ward.
Overall, the Taichung explosion claimed four lives and injured 39 people.
Taiwanese authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause of the tragedy, although it is suspected to be the result of a gas explosion from renovation that was taking place in the building’s food court.
The Macao government responded to the incident by sending representatives from the tourism crisis assistance team, who are supporting the Macao family with the help of the SAR’s Red Cross.
