Old Anandian medical student dies in Moscow fire

Old Anandian medical student....

dies in Moscow fire!

A Sri Lankan medical student following studies
in his third year at the State Research University in Moscow, Russia had become a victim of a fire that broke out in the dormitory there and had met with death.

He had been staying on the 12th floor in the dormitory building which comprised of 16 floors and the fire had broken out on the night of April 23rd as a result of a gas cooker bursting on the 7th floor. On this occasion the students of the dormitory were proceeding out of the building along a

circular flight of steps and in the process 40 students have got trapped in the fire. They had sustained burnt injuries and among them was a Sri Lankan student and 9 others all of whom were later admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital.

While under treatment at the intensive care unit the Sri Lankan student succumbed to his injuries on the night of April 28th. The victim was Mihira Uvindu Wijerama, a 22 year old student and a resident of Palathota, Kalutara. He was an Old Anandian of Colombo. According to information conveyed by authorities of the embassy to Uvindu's parents he had died as a result of burn injuries from the fire and because of inhaling carbon Monoxide Gas emanating from the fire. Investigations have revealed that the fire had broken out because of a cooker bursting on the 7th floor of the said building.

Mihira Uvindu's father, Mr. H.J. Wijerama is now retired having been employed at the Railway Department as an Accountant while the mother is employed in the capacity of an Assistant Manager of the Motor Traffic Department Commissioner's office. Mihira's elder brother is attached to Dialog Axiata and the younger sister is still schooling at Kalutara Balika National School.

Mihira Uvindu left to Moscow University in Russia on a scholarship granted to him by the Ministry of Higher Education. Five Sri Lankan students had had been studying there with him, but it was unfortunate that it was only Mihira who faced this tragedy from among the Sri Lankans.

Mihira Uvindu's last rites would be conducted at Palathota Himidiriyawa Cemetery in Kalutara on the evening of May 6th. Another group of Malaysian students who faced this mishap are in a serious condition according foreign reports.