Michela Boldrini, the 39-year-old tourist from Sarnico, in the province of Bergamo, who had been hospitalized for a week at the Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa due to burns suffered in the fire at the Italian Barracuda Inn resort in Watamu last Tuesday, did not make it.
The woman, who was vacationing with her cousin Mattia Ghilardi, originally from Valtellina, was at the end of her vacation and was due to leave the next day.
Precisely because of this, Mattia had told malindikenya.net, instinctively instead of quickly escaping from the hotel, the two of them had tried to go back to their room to retrieve their travel documents and some personal belongings. But within thirty seconds the flames had grown so close that the two were enveloped in tremendous heat and suffered severe burns.
Doctors at Star Hospital, who provided initial treatment to the two and the only other tourist admitted, a woman from Naples, immediately judged Michela Boldrini to be in serious condition although it was hoped at first that her life was not in danger. The woman was transported to Mombasa and immediately admitted to the Aga Khan's intensive care unit.
Despite appropriate treatment, the Bergamo tourist's condition worsened day by day until it seemed irreversible.
This morning the sad verdict, just as her mother was about to land in Mombasa, hoping to see her alive again. The Italian Embassy in Kenya, through the Honorary Consulate, has been following the sad affair from the beginning in contact with local authorities and has provided assistance.
Now the grief for a dramatic and avoidable loss is too great to discuss the obvious issues affecting coastal resorts, which, moreover, Kilifi County Governor Gideon Mung'aro discussed yesterday with Watamu's tourism stakeholders, amid proposals and promises that we hope will be implemented quickly.
As always malindikenya.net will follow all the events that closely affect everyone who frequents this country and the safety of those who live and vacation here.

(photo: Facebook)