Cleaning of debris continued for the fourth day on Monday even as the toll in HPCL Visakh Refinery cooling tower blast increased to nine on Monday with S. Sanyasi Rao, a contract worker, succumbing to burns while undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital.
A HPCL spokesman said three injured persons were airlifted to the National Burns Centre, Mumbai on Monday. He said more would be airlifted in the next few days.
In another development, Biswajit Bar, one among the 32 patients admitted to various hospitals in the city, was discharged following an improvement in his condition.
An expert team from AP Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad visited the refinery and collected some samples from the blast site.
A HPCL release said two of the unidentified bodies were identified by M/s Elmatics, one of the contractors and handed over to their families on Monday. Ad hoc compensation was handed over to the spouse of Ch. Murali.
The release said HPCL was ready to make payment of compensation towards other deceased contract workmen to the district authorities.
“However, the contractors need to comply with all the requirements before receiving the same,” it added.
