Toddler undergoes brain surgery after Taichung mall explosion

Taichung, Feb. 14 (CNA) A 2-year-old girl from Macau, who was injured in a deadly gas explosion at a Taichung mall on Thursday, underwent an emergency craniotomy due to severe brain injuries, according to China Medical University (CMU) Children's Hospital.

The girl, who remains in intensive care, was visiting the central city of Taichung with six other family members when the explosion occurred at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store just before noon on Thursday.

The blast led to debris crashing down as the seven family members passed the department store. The grandfather was killed instantly and the grandmother was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after.

CMU Children's Hospital officials told reporters on Friday that the girl was in a deep coma upon arrival after being transferred from another hospital. She had suffered from a brain hemorrhage and swelling.

An emergency craniotomy -- a surgical procedure in which a bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull to access the brain -- was performed on her, hospital officials said.

She currently has a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3. A GCS score ranges from 3 to 15, with 3 indicating complete unresponsiveness and 15 full responsiveness.

Hospital officials said that the focus is to stabilize her blood pressure and heart rate, reduce the pressure on her brain and prevent infections. The next seven days will be crucial for her recovery.

The girl's parents sustained minor bruises. Her great-grandmother, who suffered fractures to her ribs and arm, and her uncle, who sustained fractures to his face and hand, are being treated at the Chung Kang Branch of the Cheng Ching Hospital, said Huang Jen-chieh (黃仁杰), the hospital's vice superintendent.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the explosion had resulted in four deaths and 35 injuries as of 6 p.m. Friday.

Five of the injured are in intensive care while six are in general wards, according to the ministry.

Update

Feb. 16: Toddler, 10 others injured in Taichung mall blast still hospitalized