Neighbours have described the frantic moments after a robotic vacuum explosion left a man fighting for life in Brabham, northeast of Perth. Lachie Perrem, 25, staggered from his home on Thursday after sustaining burns to 75 per cent of his body.
Immediate Aftermath and Emergency Response
Fire trucks, an ambulance, and police quickly swarmed the street. Rylee Davies, a neighbour, was walking into her driveway as paramedics prepared to rush Perrem to hospital. "It's quite a shock and a bit of a scare, to be honest," Davies told 7NEWS. "It can happen anywhere, really, in anyone's home."
Details of the Explosion
The explosion occurred while Perrem was in the kitchen of the rental property he shares with his fiancee and other housemates. Pictures of the damage inside indicate how fierce the fire was. Perrem remains in a critical condition at Fiona Stanley Hospital, where he is preparing to spend his sixth night in the burns unit. He is sedated and has undergone a number of operations.
Investigation Underway
Investigators are still looking into what caused the robotic vacuum to explode. "That investigation includes taking custody of a range of products that were at the property," WA Building Commissioner Phil Payne said. "One of those products is a vacuum-style product."
Community and Family Response
The family has set up a GoFundMe page, with Perrem expected to be in hospital for at least two months. "Our family has been turned upside down after my beloved son was critically injured in a tragic explosion at his home," his mother Fiona Perrem, who is expected to arrive in Perth from Queensland on Tuesday, said. "While our focus is on helping him survive and heal, life outside the hospital doesn't stop. We want to ease as much of that burden as possible so that, when he wakes and begins his recovery, he can focus entirely on getting better."
Official Statements
WA Premier Roger Cook described it as a "very distressing event". "This man received severe burns and our thoughts are with him and his family," Cook said. "But we want to let that investigation take place."
