It's in everyone's home, and it exploded like a bomb!

Ebru Hayvalı, a 46-year-old mother of two living in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul, went into the kitchen on April 9, the eve of the Ramadan Feast, to make keşkek. Allegedly, she placed the ingredients in the pressure cooker and left them to cook, but the pot suddenly exploded like a bomb.

As a result of the explosion, the woman suffered burns on her face, arms, and many parts of her body. Her mother rushed to help the screaming woman and immediately poured water over her. She was then taken to a hospital and, after initial intervention, was referred to the Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital Burn Treatment Center.

The woman, who was learned to have suffered burns on approximately 40 percent of her body, began treatment there and underwent surgeries while spending time in intensive care. Hayvalı, whose treatment lasted for days, recounted the terrifying moments she experienced.

Burn Treatment Center Supervisor and General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Mustafa Turan provided information regarding the treatment process. Prof. Dr. Turan emphasized that products should be used according to their user manuals and highlighted that first aid is of vital importance.

"IF THE PRESSURE COOKER LID HAD HIT MY FACE..."

Recounting the terrifying moments she experienced while cooking, 46-year-old Ebru Hayvalı said, "It happened on the eve of the holiday; we call it keşkek, a dish made with wheat. There was a crowd at home. They said, 'Add a bit more,' so I did, and I went a little over the measurement. Then I closed the lid to cook it, and it was cooking. The moment I went to turn off the heat, there was an explosion. A grain of wheat had blocked the air vent. I only remember the sound; I don't remember anything else. It was a sound like a bomb; the lid of the pressure cooker didn't hit my face—it's a large lid, and if it had hit me, I wouldn't have survived. My mistake was overfilling it and being in a rush. There is a sound; I still have the booming sound in my ears. My mother was at home at the time, and I called out to her, 'Mom, help!' My grandchild was crying at the door, saying something happened to my grandmother. They poured water from the fridge, they poured all the water they had, and in the meantime, we went to the hospital. I came here, stayed in intensive care, and had 5 surgeries. They should pay attention to the user manual; even going one notch above is a mistake. I thought, 'This would never happen to me, I've been using it for years, I'm very careful,' but in a moment of carelessness, I ended up like this. Our doctors and nurses took such good care of me; my face was completely burned, and now there is no trace left. I don't go into the kitchen; I can't go in. The moment I go in, I feel the explosion. I have never heard or seen such an explosion in my life; it was as if a bomb had gone off in the house. One mistake, one moment of carelessness brought me to this state. They shouldn't exceed the line on the pressure cooker, they shouldn't rush, and I also made another mistake: I didn't change the gasket that needs to be changed every year. I was making the food for the holiday, for the holiday preparations; in our region, we make keşkek with wheat and meat. It was my preparation for that, but we couldn't celebrate the holiday. At the moment of the explosion, I had put a spoon in a plate, and I felt the plate hit me; I thought my vein had been cut. A porcelain plate hit me, and I looked and saw oil flowing. Until I met Dr. Mustafa in intensive care, I said I wouldn't make it out of here; I was in a very bad state," she said.

"WE MUST BE CAREFUL"

Stating that household accidents have very serious consequences and that people need to be careful, Burn Treatment Center Supervisor and General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Mustafa Turan said, "Unfortunately, household accidents are not innocent; patients come to us with severe injuries. Ebru arrived with severe injuries, with burns covering 40 percent of her body—in some areas nearly full-thickness—due to a pressure cooker explosion. We see these types of burns and children getting burned very often. We must be careful; we see a lot of accidents involving children, pressure cookers, and natural gas explosions in the kitchen. We are facing serious burns and accidents that seem innocent but are caused by many factors, such as children getting burned due to electrical leaks, drinking chemicals, their explosions, and drain openers. Especially for burns caused by heat, we recommend that the energy of that area must be removed; holding it under tap water for an average of 15 minutes is recommended. Sometimes they hold it under very cold water, which is also harmful. Not holding it under water and failing to remove the energy from that area can cause the burn to deepen, and we advise our patients to apply to a health institution without losing much time. Reading the user manuals is important. When using pressure cookers, or when hot oil on stoves catches fire, people pour water on it, which causes an explosion. When we looked at the period when Ebru arrived, we had 7 admissions. There are also those we didn't admit to the clinic; we can say that about 15 people have applied to us. There are also those who go to other clinics. One must be very careful; some can be defective. A pressure cooker works when it reaches a certain pressure. It is very important not to cause it to clog. It is very important not to exceed the level of the food and to comply with the user manuals."

Meanwhile, 46-year-old Ebru Hayvalı, whose treatment at the hospital was completed, was discharged to continue her check-ups at home.