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A baby suffered burns to 50 per cent of his body after a hairdryer short circuited. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Unattended baby badly burned after hairdryer left running beside him short-circuits

Natalie Mu

An six-month-old baby in Jiangsu province has been badly burned after an electric hair drier his mother left running on a bed beside him short circuited and set fire to the sheet on Sunday, a news website reported.

The unnamed baby boy was taken to the intensive care unit of the Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Suzhou University on Sunday afternoon. According to the chief doctor, the baby was in shock when he reached the hospital with burns covering about 50 per cent of his body surface, news portal People.com.cn reported.

According to the mother, her baby liked the sound of an operating hairdryer. She had turned the hairdryer to its lowest setting and placed it on the bed about 30cm from the baby, before leaving the room in their Suzhou home.

The hairdryer apparently short circuited and caught fire, also igniting the sheet on which the baby lay. The mother discovered the fire and injuries when she returned after about 10 minutes, the report said.

The baby underwent a first operation on Tuesday but was not yet out of danger. A doctor from the hospital said that his chances of survival were estimated at less than 50 per cent and the cost of treatment would be as much as 700,000 yuan (HK$ 812,000).

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