My daughter’s childhood is ruined after suffering severe burns making hot chocolate at school – her screams are haunting
A MUM has shared how her daughter’s childhood has been ruined after suffering severe burns while making hot chocolate at school.
Sunia Mukhtar, 34, said she is haunted by her eight-year-old daughter’s screams in the wake of the incident.
She added that the little girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been left traumatised and suffering with “nightmares”.
Sunia’s daughter was taking part in an outdoor learning session at her school in Bradford, West Yorkshire, when the incident took place.
She, along with her fellow classmates, was making hot chocolate using a Kelly camping kettle – a flask that quickly boils water.
But a pressure build-up caused the cork to pop out of the flask unexpectedly, splashing the young girl with scorching liquid.
After the incident at Margaret McMillan Primary School, she was taken to hospital where she received treatment for severe burns on her leg.
Her distraught mother recalled: “She was constantly crying, she couldn’t have a bath. I was breaking down three times a day.
“My daughter has nightmares. I’m stressed as a parent. I lost my trust. My anxiety’s through the roof now.
“I didn’t want my child to go through this trauma. A burn injury is for life. It’s ruined my child’s childhood.”
Sunia added that staffing failures compounded the damage, with teachers reportedly placing an ice-pack on the burn instead of running it under cold water.
She’s now taken her daughter out of the school because the incident would constantly “play on her mind.”
Sunia said: “You leave your kids in a school setting thinking they’re going to be safe.
“Knowing that all these things were happening right beneath you it plays on your mind.
“She was in so much pain. I was on the train when my husband rang me. I could hear her wailing.”
A report published by OJ Health and Safety Solutions Ltd highlighted a number of issues that put school pupils at “moderate” risk.
It also said that two classes were merged together, which meant the amount of children were “uncontrollable.”
The health and safety report said: “At the time of the incident there was a forest school session taking place.
“The session included the use of Kelly kettles, which were lit within the fire pit area but not on the designated fire light area.
“The children were all in very close proximity to the kettles.
“The cork from the kettle popped out due to pressure build up which also caused boiling hot water to eject from the kettle landing on the child causing burns.
“There are two risk assessments for the activity and none of the controls have been adhered to.
“The cork was left in the kettle which caused pressure to build, children were running around the fire pit in what can only be described as chaotic manner, fire was left unattended with children running around.
“Fire had been lit on the wooden chippings not on the designated gravelled fire pit, the fires were lit in extremely windy conditions, children were not supervised properly during the activity, gloves not being worn while handling the kettles.
“There were two classes merged together which hadn’t been authorised meaning the number of children in the area was uncontrollable.”
Margaret McMillan Primary School and Kelly’s Kettles have been contacted for a comment.