Taiwan pop trio S.H.E's Selina Jen has undergone surgical debridement to remove damaged tissue from the site of the burns she suffered when an explosion scene in her upcoming drama "I Have A Date With Spring" went awry, reported Taiwan media.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference at the Linkou branch of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital on Monday, Linda Ho, general manager of HIM International, the music label to which Jen belongs, said that the singer's five-hour operation "went very, very well".
"Jen recovered consciousness at about 3pm. Her parents have visited her and her emotions are very stable. All her vital signs, according to the doctors, are very good.
"She is just very tired after the operation. We should let her rest as much as possible and get better. It will take two to three weeks for her to recover from this operation," said Ho, adding that the main concern now is to make sure Jen's wounds do not become infected.
This is just the first of many hurdles for Jen on her road to recovery, which observers say may take up to two years.
Jen's father, who was also at the scene, appeared calm, however, his words betrayed his emotions.
"It is painful but they have administered painkillers. My daughter says she can take it (the pain) but I can't bear it," said the elder Jen of his daughter's condition.
He also revealed that there were "minor burns" on his daughter's face though the majority of her serious burns were on her legs as she was wearing stockings, a particularly combustible article of clothing, when the accident happened on Friday.
Selina Jen's fiance, Richard Chang, also turned up to visit. He was spotted somberly heading straight to Jen's intensive care ward on Monday and ignoring all questions from the gathered press.
A terrifying blaze
Friday's horrific accident saw the actress Selina Jen, 28, and her co-star Ham Yu, 22, suffer severe burns and writhing in agony, when the explosives put in place for an explosion scene in "I Have A Date With Spring" detonated prematurely.
Eyewitnesses said that Jen's clothes were on fire and she was screaming "It burns! It burns!" immediately after the explosion.
Yu on the other hand, appeared to be in shock and had a glazed look in his eyes as the production crew rushed forward to help the still-smouldering pair.
Yu's injuries were slightly less severe than Jen – he had second-degree burns while Jen suffered from third-degree burns – and was now in a stable condition.
"The most dangerous, most difficult 72 hours have just passed. Yu is no longer in critical condition.
"His vital signs are stable and doctors tell me he can eat small amounts of food," said a spokeswoman from Yu's management company EE-Media, at a press conference in Shanghai on Monday.
She added that Yu was in no danger of disfigurement.
Jen was not so lucky. She suffered third degree burns on her arms, hands, finger, thighs and back. Skin grafts have been planned for Jen though it is unknown how these injuries will affect her career.
Burns are classified in degrees, increasing in severity from first (sunburns for example) to sixth-degree burns (burns where tissue has been burnt away and bone is exposed).
Third degree burns will leave extensive scars.
The production company behind "I Have A Date With Spring" has since denied allegations that they had used an unqualified pyrotechnics director, whose negligence caused the tragedy.
"We had a pyrotechnic director who fulfilled all the requirements.
"What we can confirm is that this incident was not the pyrotechnics director's fault. The main culprit is a pyrotechnic equipment malfunction caused by wear and tear," said the drama's producer.
