14-year-old’s face disfigured as fridge explodes in Katni:Sustains 108 facial fractures; survives after 2.5-hour-long surgery in Jabalpur

A 14-year-old boy from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, suffered life-threatening injuries after a refrigerator exploded as he opened its door. The blast tore apart his face and fractured 108 facial bones. Doctors in Jabalpur fought for over two hours to save his life. He is now out of danger and recovering. Blast as Aryan opened the fridge The incident occurred on 5 November in Katni. Aryan Mishra was at home with his mother when he opened the refrigerator door. A sudden explosion followed. The blast disfigured his face, leaving him bleeding and unconscious. Hearing the loud noise, Aryan’s mother rushed from another room. She fainted after seeing her son lying in blood near the fridge. Neighbours rushed him to hospital Hearing the explosion, neighbours rushed to help. They found both mother and son unconscious on the floor. Aryan was taken to a private hospital in Katni. His father, Vivek Kumar Mishra, an ASI in the Madhya Pradesh Police, was informed immediately. Doctors at the private hospital said Aryan’s condition was extremely critical and advised shifting him to Jabalpur for advanced treatment. Shifted to Jabalpur for emergency surgery Within 90 minutes, Aryan was brought by ambulance to Baderia Metro Hospital in Jabalpur. ENT specialist Dr Rahul Chaturvedi led the operation along with a plastic surgery team. Aryan’s face was badly damaged — from under his eyes to his neck. He was unable to breathe and was immediately placed on a ventilator. Doctors found 108 facial fractures According to Dr Chaturvedi, the boy’s facial bones were fractured in 108 places. His nose, mouth, and jaw were broken. Gas had also entered his windpipe. Doctors had to make a hole in his throat to connect a breathing tube. Blood was flowing continuously from his face, and the skin was torn in several places. Dr Chaturvedi said stopping the bleeding and fixing the shattered bones were major challenges. “It looked as if a bomb had exploded on his face,” he said. Two-and-a-half-hour surgery saved his life A team of specialists performed a two-and-a-half-hour surgery. Plates were fitted to fix the broken bones. Doctors said it was a miracle that Aryan survived. He remained on a ventilator for three days after the operation. His condition started improving on 8 November, and he has now been taken off the ventilator. Slow recovery expected Aryan has started taking liquid food and will begin speaking in a few days. Doctors say it will take time for him to recover fully, but his life is now out of danger. Father blames old refrigerator Aryan’s father, Vivek Kumar Mishra, said the refrigerator was about 15 years old and had been repaired several times. “Ice used to build up in the freezer, so we would switch it off for hours. The controller was also faulty,” he said. He believes the explosion happened because of gas trapped inside the ice compartment. “We had planned to buy a new fridge soon, but this incident happened before that,” he added.