Sri Lankan refugee suffers horrendous burns in Melbourne blaze

06 Apr, 2019

A Sri Lankan refugee who was injured during a chemical factory fire in Melbourne is recovering in hospital after being engulfed in flames, the Daily Mail reported

Vignesh Varatharaja, who fled the civil war in Sri Lanka to start a new life in Australia, was set on fire after a chemical drum he was pumping exploded.

Varatharaja was taken to a specialist burns unit where he remains unconscious in a serious but stable condition.

More than $13,000 has been raised by the Migrants Workers Centre to help meet Varatharaja’s upfront medical costs.

The chemical fire tore through the waste management factory, which stores hazardous waste, in Campbelltown early on Friday morning.

Footage of the fire showed a gas canister launching into the sky after being ignited by the blaze.

The fire caused thick, black smoke to spew over Melbourne.

An investigation into the fire has been launched following a request from the fire brigade.

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