The death-toll in the Nayagarh firecracker making unit blast rose to six with four more persons succumbing to their injuries at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack.
Condition of six more persons undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College Hospital was stated to be critical.
The cracker making unit, which was also used as godown, had suddenly caught fire and in no time, a massive explosion had taken place at Tantisahi in Itamati area of Nayagarh district.
The blast was so severe that more than 10 workers engaged in making firecrackers ahead of Diwali suffered above 50 per cent burn injuries. The injured were immediately shifted to Nayagarh District Headquarter Hospital, then to Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, and finally to SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack. Two persons had died on Friday while the other four persons breathed their last on Saturday.
Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia each to the families of the deceased persons. The government, Mr. Patnaik said, will bear the treatment cost of injured persons.
Meanwhile, the owner of the factory Dhaneswar Sahoo has been arrested and Nayagarh police is investigating into the matter.
