A nine-year-old boy who suffered severe burns while playing near his home in Fujairah will shortly be released after being treated for three weeks in hospital
The child was admitted to Khorfakkan Hospital for emergency treatment on Wednesday, December 18, and was later transferred for specialist care at Latifa Hospital in Dubai.
He suffered second and third degree burns, mainly to the lower half of his body, following the incident while he was playing near his home in Al Bidya.
Doctors applied specialist burns dressings to 11 separate wounds.
His parents are understood to have stayed with the boy during his three-week recovery.
Details of how he sustained the injuries are not clear but, on Thursday, police said media reports that the boy was doused in petrol and set alight by construction workers "do not match reality".
The unconfirmed reports had said the boy was attacked by three men and subsequently saved by neighbours who heard his screams.
Police said the boy suffered the burns while at a construction site near his home but that no workers were there at the time.
"Fujairah Police confirm that they have taken all legal measures to uncover the truth. The case is still under investigation and we call on the media to refer to official sources for updates," the statement, in Arabic, said.
Hospital sources said the boy was walking again and due to be discharged in the next 24-48 hours.
