Tuesday, September 26 2023 18:12

ArmInfo. Hundreds of burn victims of an explosion at a fuel depot are in urgent need of  specialized medical care. Teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are delivering medical supplies and helping to arrange medical evacuation by ambulance. This was reported by the  Geneva headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"Hospitals in the region were already over capacity even before the  influx of patients from the explosion, making the situation for  patients and medical staff extra-critical," the statement reads.

Ariane Bauer, the ICRC's regional director for Europe and Central  Asia said: "This is an absolute tragedy for hundreds of people now  suffering from horrific, painful burns, the crisis is compounded by  the fact that hospitals were already running over capacity and that  heavy traffic makes it difficult to move ambulances and medical  supplies in and out. 

"The ICRC delivered dressing kits and a specialized burn dressing kit  following the incident. An ICRC medical team is on site assisting  with the medical response. More medical supplies necessary for the  treatment of severe burn cases are in the process of being delivered.   The ICRC is working with decision makers in the region to find  solutions to increase the number of medical evacuations.  Finding  solutions to these urgent medical needs is in line with the  obligation of all parties under international humanitarian law to  ensure that the wounded and sick receive, with the least possible  delay, the medical care required by their condition.  Even before the  explosion, the ICRC had identified 60 critically wounded patients who  needed to be evacuated from the central hospital. Twenty-three of  those patients were evacuated on Sunday; plans to evacuate the others  have been made more difficult by the critical needs from the  explosion," they note.

Earlier head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, also touched upon  the tragic incident. "Our thoughts are with the victims of  yesterday's tragic gas explosion in Stepanakert/Khankendi and their  loved ones. There is an urgent need for unimpeded international  humanitarian access to Nagorno Karabakh. EU announced additional  assistance and ready to do more," he wrote on his account on X  (formerly Twittrer).