Mary Nkwamou, 62, who lives in Nkomkana, a Yaounde neighbourhood, is suffering from severe burns by cooking gas flames. She was burnt while attempting to light a cooking gas plate in her room early last Monday. Reports say, Mary Nkwamou lives in her room with her three-year-old grand daughter and a friend of hers who visited her recently. According to the reports, Mary and the friend travelled to Bamenda last with other relatives for some family matters. Prior to their departure, Mary’s friend (names unknown) is alleged to have forgotten to turn oof the gas cylinder after cooking. Mary travelled back to Yaounde last Sunday night and arrived early on Monday. At about 5:30 a.m. Mary in an attempt to light the gas plate to chill some water to prepare her grand daughter to go to school, there was an explosion and Mary was severely injured.
Fortunately enough, her grand daughter was saved from the flames by a mattress which fell on her while Mary was struggling to set herself free from the fire. On hearing the explosion and screams from Mary, neighbours immediately forced the door open to rescue her. Before the rescue attempt, Mary had sustained severe burns on her face and all over her body. She was immediately rushed to the emergency ward of the Yaounde Central Hospital for treatment. Mary is presently under care at the Intensive Care Unit in the Yaounde Central Hospital. Her niece, Sabine E. said Mary usually avoids cooking with the gas plate but for the friend’s arrival. “My aunt cook’s with the kerosene stove most of the time. It is because her friend was around that the gas plate was being used,” she said. She however said that there is hope that her aunt will recover from the burns because she was able to talk to them yesterday. Mary is a divorcee and has one child.
