Gas blast maid dies from injuries

A MAID who was left badly burned in a gas cylinder explosion in her employer’s kitchen has died.

Residents across the UAE had rallied to raise cash for Ethiopian Azeb Abebe's hospital expenses.

However her employer Indian Masood Salem, told 7DAYS that she died last week. He said the 25-year-old “succumbed to her injuries, there was nothing more that could be done”.

He said that the money raised would now be sent to Ethiopia to help her one-year-old son.

“It is very important that he is provided for,” Salem said.

“We wanted to talk to her, I wanted to tell her what a great response we had to the campaign. Instead, all that care that people showed will be directed to her son,” Salem added.

Close to Dhs60,000 has been donated for Abebe so far and money will continue to be collected over the next week through her sponsor Masood Salem's facebook page for her son.

Abebe died at Dubai’s Rashid Hospital, where she was in intensive care for more than two weeks.

She had suffered 81 per cent 2nd and 3rd degree burns in the kitchen explosion.

Salem is now focused on getting Abebe’s body repatriated to Ethiopia and said that he is receiving help from the Ethiopian consul general in Dubai.

Salem added that the facebook campaign had received donations from around the world including the UK, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, and the UAE.

Masood can be reached on 050 640 4314 for those wishing to help.