The Sri Lankan maid, who was subject to severe burns as a result of a cylinder explosion, is reported to have disregarded the warning of her sponsor’s wife, who had forewarned her about the gas leak in the kitchen.
Fathima Safaya, 38, was severely injured in an accident that took place in the early hours of Thursday in Riyadh.
According to her sponsor’s son, a gas leak occurred in the kitchen and the house caught fire when Safaya switched on the room’s light.
The city fire brigade was summoned to douse the flames and the injured patient was taken to King Saud Hospital (Semesi) suffering from severe burns in most parts of her body.
Safaya, who hails from Dharga Town in Alutgama, some 50 km from Colombo, is a divorcee with two sons. She arrived 15 months ago to the Kingdom to work and provide for her sons.
A Sri Lankan Embassy official said the mission is exerting its efforts to safeguard the victim’s interests, adding that the police are investigating to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The official indicated that the brother of the victim, who traveled from Jeddah to be by his sister’s side, is receiving assistance from the mission to facilitate coordination with the maid’s sponsor.
Rajah, the brother, told Arab News that his sister was a kind, humble and helpful person and had not complained about her sponsors.
“She is lying in a state of coma, I cannot speak to her,” Rajah said, adding that her body is covered with severe burns and her face fully bandaged.
The maid is currently in the intensive care unit of the hospital. According to the doctors the patient is still in a critical condition, but there is room for improvement during the next five days.
Injured Lanka maid remains comatose
