KOCHI: A couple along with their son hailing from Kottayam had the horror of their life when a pleasant outing to a local cinema resulted in the woman ending up in hospital after getting scalded by boiling hot green tea spilt by a fellow filmgoer. The burn injuries, in the incident which took place at the PVR Cinema in LuLu Mall here last weekend, were so severe the woman passed out and she had to be rushed to hospital in the mall’s ambulance.
A part of the hot beverage also fell on the woman’s husband but got away luckily. Interestingly, while the multiplexes show an almost maniacal zeal in barring visitors from carrying food products brought from outside inside the screening area - even going as far as to provide packaged potable water on the premises and banning chewing gums inside the halls to protect the theatre property, the scalding incident shows the security concerns could well be nothing more than mere window dressing.
“We were shocked. It was pitch dark inside the screening hall and it took us a while to realise what had happened. Now, it will take at least 30 days for the burn injuries to heal completely. The cinemas and the government should both ensure an incident like this does not happen in the future. It is outrageous the beverage was provided on a flat plate, besides being allowed to carry it in the dark. The hot beverages should be consumed outside the screening hall,” said the husband.
A PVR representative told Express they swung into action immediately to provide medical help to the injured woman. “It was an accident. The glass slipped from the customers’ hand. We provided immediate support and she was taken to hospital in the mall’s ambulance. However, we cant ask the audience to desist from carrying hot beverages inside the screening hall. It is about enhancing customer satisfaction. That said, in the future though we will ensure such incidents do not happen,” he said.