“I have been given a second chance at life” – Survivors of a deadly fuel depot explosion on their long road to recovery
Samvel (right) and his sister, Alla, outside their home on the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia. Samvel was severely burned by an explosion at a fuel depot in Karabakh on 26 September 2023.
...With the support of the European Union (EU) along with the Romanian and Belgian governments, and with the help of the Belgian First Aid and Support (B-FAST) Emergency Medical Team (EMT), Samvel was evacuated to Belgium where he received specialized treatment for his burns.
Samvel is a survivor
On 26 September 2023 he and his family left by car, fleeing the Karabakh region. On the way, Samvel, along with many others, stopped to collect petrol at a fuel depot for the trip – a decision that would change his life forever.
A violent explosion at the depot left him with burns over 60% of his body. He and his badly burned brother-in-law were flown by helicopter to hospital for treatment and then onwards to Armenia where they were admitted to hospitals repurposed for burns management. The explosion injured over 300 people and killed 200.
Sadly, Samvel’s brother did not survive his injuries. Samvel attributes his own survival to the specialized care he received in Belgium.
After being severely burned by the explosion at the fuel depot in Karabakh, Samvel was evacuated to Belgium where he received treatment for his burns. He is now back in Armenia and on the road to recovery.
Receiving specialized care in Belgium
In Armenia, Samvel was admitted into intensive care and put on painkillers. He drifted in and out of consciousness. His sister, Alla, acted as intermediary with his doctors, explaining to Samvel that he was to be medically evacuated to Belgium to receive specialized treatment not available in Armenia. What Alla did not tell Samvel was that, at the time of Samvel’s transfer, her husband had just died of his burns.
“I didn’t have any hope that I would survive,” Samvel told WHO. “The doctors in Belgium saved my life. The care I received was incomparable. We were fortunate to be provided with this opportunity.”
Samvel was evacuated to Belgium on 8 October 2023 and received treatment in a hospital there for 3 months. Alla asked WHO to convey a message to the Belgian doctors.
“We wish we could tell the doctors, ‘Thank you for saving his life’, as we didn’t have the opportunity to do so. My brother has many years of life left because of them,” she said. “We have a saying in Armenian that goes like this, ‘Fate has decided that we are all born for a reason’. And for these doctors, their fate was to save lives.”
A burns survivor is medically evacuated from Yerevan, Armenia. With the help of the Belgium B-FAST EMT, 3 severely injured patients were evacuated.
...They were airlifted to a specialized burns centre in Belgium through the support of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, by a Romanian Air Force plane staffed by Romanian medics. The WHO EMT initiative coordinated and collaborated on the evacuation.
Samvel’s evacuation to Belgium was carried out by an emergency medical team (EMT) from Belgian First Aid and Support (B-FAST), coordinated by the Government-led EMT Coordination Cell with support from the WHO EMT initiative and the WHO Country Office in Armenia, and with facilitation by the European Union (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism. He was transported in a Romanian military plane outfitted with specialized equipment and medical staff on board.
Major Bert Torfs, leader of the B-FAST burns assessment team that was sent to Yerevan, recalled, “I first saw Samvel in hospital in Armenia during our B-FAST assessment mission and then followed his progress in Belgium. He had several operations in Belgium that included wound dressing and skin grafts. After the surgery, he followed several weeks of rehabilitation therapy before he was declared fit for repatriation.”
Major Torfs added, “I’m very glad we could evacuate and help these Armenian patients. Samvel and 2 other patients received treatment at the military burns centre in Brussels. I am very delighted to see the progress he has made. The medical evacuation was organized by Romania. I therefore would like to express my thanks to their government as well for the mutual cooperation. This mission really is an example of European partnership and solidarity.”
Made up of volunteers from the Belgian ministries of public health and defence, the B-FAST team was in contact with several hospitals in Yerevan to exchange knowledge and best practices. The team was also responsible for preparing the medical evacuation of seriously burned patients to Belgium.
After arriving in Belgium, the patients received treatment at the burns centre of the Queen Astrid Military Hospital in Neder-over-Hembeek, Brussels. Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of Belgium to Armenia Eric de Muynck were in close contact with the Armenian authorities and Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Armenia Vassilis Marago to ensure effective coordination and facilitation of the mission.
Hrayr receives rehabilitation therapy for his burns from his therapist, Marina Seergeva, in Armenia.
“As you can see, the doctors saved my life”
WHO met Hrayr at the National Institute for Burns and Dermatology in Yerevan, Armenia, where he was undergoing rehabilitation exercises for burns on his hands caused by the same Karabakh fuel depot explosion that injured Samvel.
Hrayr's fourth-degree burns covered over 65% of his body. He received medical attention in Armenia and was then medically evacuated to Bulgaria and admitted to their Clinic for Burns and Plastic Surgery, where highly specialized medical care was provided for him.
“I spent 2 months in intensive care. In Bulgaria I had over 17 surgeries as my entire body was affected. The doctors displayed remarkable care and expertise; as you can see, they saved my life. Please convey my gratitude to the doctors in Bulgaria,” he requested.
Armenuhi Poghosyan, a leading burns rehabilitation therapist in Armenia, empathizes with the suffering of patients and urges them to strive for ongoing recovery.
“We're not ready to rest yet”
Armenuhi Poghosyan is a leading burns rehabilitation therapist in Armenia. Over the past 6 months, she has managed the rehabilitation needs of burns patients horrifically injured by the Karabakh fuel depot explosion. Physical therapy skills are crucial for helping patients regain their independence and mobility after severe damage to skin layers, muscle and connective tissue.
“Our patients spent months bedridden in hospital, and over this period we’ve become friends. We empathize with their pain and are committed to helping them reintegrate into daily life, to return to work, and to provide support to their families as soon as possible,” she explained.
“Over the past 6 months, we've made significant progress towards recovery. My message to my patients is to not stop doing your exercises even for a single day, to continue to strive for further recovery, and for us to continue moving forward together. Because whenever we stop, we risk regressing. And we're not ready to rest yet.”
Armenuhi added, “I must express my profound gratitude for all the help we've received and continue to receive. The consistent support provided ensures that our patients' needs are met without fail. My message is simply, ‘Thank you – a heartfelt thank you.’”
EMTs deployed to Armenia also bolstered the capacity of medical staff working with burns patients through training and sharing of expertise on rehabilitation. The training, which was supported by WHO, brought together international trainers and national experts.
As of April 2024, WHO’s training on rehabilitation has benefitted over 56 specialists in Armenia, including rehabilitation physicians, burns surgeons, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists.
Physical therapy is crucial for helping patients regain their independence and mobility after severe damage to skin layers, muscle and connective tissue. Here, a patient receives rehabilitation care for his burns.
Marina Seergeva, a refugee from the Karabakh region, is a rehabilitation nurse working at the National Center for Burns and Dermatology in Armenia. She explained to WHO why rehabilitation is so vital for the long term.
“I tell my patients to focus especially on mobility and the positioning of their fingers. I tell my patients that we have made good progress but they need to have patience because we still have a long way to go and their rehabilitation will take about 6–18 months. The best rehabilitation for them is to be able to go back to work. That is why we aim for continuous progress.”
Aramayis has benefitted from psychosocial support from WHO through peer-to-peer counselling since suffering severe burns. The support he gives and receives reminds him that he is not alone, and that he has a second chance at life.
WHO’s role – supporting burns patients on the long road to recovery
Providing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for burns patients, their families and medical staff has been a major feature of WHO’s response. Survivors of severe burns are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychosocial intervention programmes to improve positive coping strategies and decrease PTSD are critical. Through local partners, WHO is providing counselling sessions for burns patients, including through peer-to-peer counselling.
Aramayis suffered severe burns and has been receiving psychosocial support from WHO through peer-to-peer counselling. He says, “The group work on mental health and the counselling that we received and that we give to each other is a positive reminder that we are not alone, and that we have a second chance at life.”
Future needs for burns patients
MHPSS interventions and rehabilitation for burns survivors will be required for years to come, as many of those affected face permanent disabilities and a very long road to recovery. Their journey towards healing requires continual interventions with technical support provided to health-care workers.
The Karabakh refugee crisis and its aftermath may no longer be in the headlines, but this does not mean that it is over.