An e-cigarette may have been responsible for igniting a hospital patient's oxygen supply and causing her life-threatening burns, it has been reported.
Jean Booth’s scalp and face were severely burnt and she was last night fighting for life as an investigation tried to discover whether an e-cigarette found near her at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester was responsible for the blaze, The Sun (£) reported.
A relative told the paper: “We’re all in total shock. Her face is completely burnt.
“It’s covered up with bandages. She might be blinded. It’s absolutely horrendous.
“We are not sure she will pull through. If she does she’ll have to go through loads of skin grafts.”
An e-cigarette was reportedly found at the scene of the fire that left a hospital patient badly burned
The Sun said she was awaiting surgery and suffered breathing difficulties and was given oxygen using tubes attached to her nose. The fire started in the early hours of Friday. An e-cigarette was found at the scene, the paper added.
Jean’s relative told The Sun: “The nurses who were there just said that they think an e-cig was involved. There was also the mention of a lighter.
“Now Jean is a smoker, don’t get me wrong. She’s been in and out of hospital for the past two years but she has never ever attempted to light a cigarette in there. She has never done that.”
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the police, fire brigade and hospital bosses. A hospital spokesman told MailOnline: "We can confirm that an incident involving one patient in our care took place in the early hours of Friday."
Last week, a video emerged of an e-cigarrete exploding in a pub in Richmond, North Yorkshire, scorching a barmaid's dress.