He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns after the tank exploded near him

Dwayne Flowers, 28, a resident of Placencia Village, was badly burnt around noon on Wednesday, July 3, after a butane tank exploded near him.

Flowers, who does electrical and plumbing works in the village, was fixing a gas leak at a house in Placencia along with his assistant, Cecil Gordon. The gas tank was located in the basement of the building. Flowers entered the home through a manhole and while in there, he lit a lighter, causing the tank to explode.

The force of the explosion caused Flowers to be thrown out the manhole and he sustained second and third degree burns to about 90 percent of his body. He was taken to the Placencia Polyclinic but was later transferred to a private medical facility in Belize City.

Flowers’ assistant, Gordon, was also injured by the explosion. He suffered first degree burns to 15 percent of his body. Gordon was transferred to a medical facility in the Cayo District.

Flowers’ wife, Cindy, told us that her husband will be taken to a hospital in Augusta, Georgia, USA, today, Thursday, to receive treatment. She will be accompanying her husband, who was sedated for comfort reasons while travelling. Cindy told us that they expect to be in Augusta for about two or three months and she foresees her husband recovering.

The family is requesting assistance from the public to cover medical expenses. Flowers’ medical bills so far have accumulated to about $24,000 and in addition to that, the family was loaned the money to cover the cost of the medical airlift to the United States. According to his wife, that increased the total cost of his medical care so far to US$24,000.

Persons who would like to help the family are asked to make all donations to Burn Unit Mercy Fund at Belize Bank account number 695 115 2111, or to the account of his wife, Cindy Flowers, at Atlantic Bank, account number 211 244 132. Persons living in Placencia can take donations to Leslie Tech Office.