THE family of a supervisor who was injured in an explosion at the Burger King outlet in New Kingston on Wednesday is seeking urgent medical care for her overseas.

“She is in a race against time. Her vitals are fluctuating. We are seeking facilities that have modern equipment, accommodation and burn specialists who will be able to handle the different outcomes so she can get the best care. We have made contact with several hospitals overseas already as well as the air ambulance,” Renay Folkes-Johnson, a sister of the injured supervisor, Kerry-Ann Folkes, told the Jamaica Observer.

“Now that we have the medical report, we are trying to take it to the next step. I am absolutely traumatised but I have to stay strong. Most of my family members are overseas and unable to be here. I am exhausted; however, I am pushing on and leaning on the Lord for His strength and I have all confidence that she will push through,” Folkes-Johnson said.

The injured woman’s mother, Luna Jackson, said that she was at home in Kingston when she got the call about the explosion and that her daughter was badly burnt.

She said she instantly put God on the job and is hoping and praying that her 46-year-old daughter will be flown to a hospital overseas quickly and that she will survive.

Folkes is one of six people who received injuries in what is believed to have been a gas explosion. The Observer was told that two of the injured individuals were still in hospital, while four others were treated and released.

On Friday Lisa Lake, CEO of Restaurants Associates Limited, the operator of the Burger King franchise in Jamaica, told the Observer that the company is ready and prepared to help Folkes with any medical attention she needs.

“The family has indicated that they want her to go overseas for treatment and we have pledged our support. We are just awaiting word for the doctors to see what is the next step,” said Lake.

She pointed out that the company has already organised a transfer to another hospital for the second employee who was seriously injured in the explosion which shattered glass windows and doors at the restaurant and forced other businesses nearby to close for the day.

While those other establishments resumed regular business on Thursday, Burger King remained closed.

Lake had previously pointed out to the Observer that the incident was the first in the restaurant’s 40 years of operating on the island.

“Thankfully though, there were no fatalities and our team is recovering under medical attention. I’ve actually been able to speak with most of them directly and thankfully they are okay despite being understandably shaken up,” Lake said hours after the incident.

“Our priority right now is the well-being of all affected and we’d actually like to take the time out to thank the emergency personnel and the persons that were on site for their quick action. We continue to work with the authorities [to] thoroughly review the situation and determine what actually caused the explosion,” Lake added.

In the meantime, in a statement to the media IGL, the gas provider for Burger King, says it is cooperating with the ongoing investigation led by the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

“IGL is also conducting our own internal investigations to understand what occurred. The cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed,” the company said.

“Safety and health protocols are our highest priority, and these include regular maintenance and inspection of cylinders, proper training for delivery personnel, and adherence to all safety regulations during transportation and delivery to ensure compliance with these protocols and to maintain the safety and integrity of our operations,” IGL added.

Firefighters and police outside the Burger King restaurant in New Kingston on Wednesday, following the explosion (Naphtali Junior)