Surgery for student who escaped flat fire

Firefighters at the scene yesterday morning. Photo / Otago Daily Times / Peter Mcintosh

A Dunedin student has undergone a successful surgery to his hands after a flat fire at 660 Castle St yesterday.

Robby McPhail, originally of Auckland, suffered second-degree burns to his hands and a broken ankle after breaking his bedroom window and leaping to safety.

Speaking from Dunedin, father Peter McPhail, of Auckland, said if his son had not woken up and jumped from his window, it could have been a vastly different outcome.

Mr McPhail said his son had been ''under anaesthetic'' all night and woke up about 9am.

His mother had joined the family from Auckland this morning.

"He's got superficial burns on both hands which is better than we had originally thought,'' Mr McPhail said.

He also had a fractured ankle and would spend the next week in Dunedin Hospital before flying back to Auckland with his family to recover, Mr McPhail said.