3 Burned in Gas Explosion Undergo Operations

A Lakewood woman and her two children, severely burned in a gas explosion this week, underwent reconstructive surgery Friday for extensive third-degree burns and remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Debra J. Bell, 34, and her two children, Kizzie, 5, and Charles, 4, each underwent surgery by teams of doctors at the burn center of Sherman Oaks Hospital and Health Center. Dr. Richard Grossman said Bell was the most severly burned of the three, suffering third-degree burns over 80% of her body. The surgery lasted through the morning and into the afternoon, and Bell was near death Friday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.