The death toll in the Sunday’s blast at a cracker manufacturing unit at Gokulapadu Village under S. Rayavaram police station limits in Visakhapatnam District has risen to six, with the discovery of another body in a well close to the unit on Monday morning.
The body of S. Ramana (27) was retrieved from the well adjoining the unit on Monday morning by the Fire Department officials. According to District Fire Officer R.G. Sundaram, the deceased would have either been thrown into the well by the explosion or could have jumped into it to douse the fire.
The other deceased have been identified as N. Satyavathi (28), L. Seshamma (40), K. Durga (12), S. Lakshmi (50) and M. Sattibabu (45).
The five persons who have been injured severely were identified as K. Krishna (22), Viswanath (34), B. Appa Rao (35), N. Durga (12) and S. Lakshmi (50). All of them are said to be in critical condition and undergoing treatment at Seven Hills Hospital in Visakhapatnam.
According to the Yellamanchili Police Station Circle Inspector, Venkat Rao, both K. Durga and N. Durga were friends and were not employees of the unit, but were playing close to the unit. While K. Durga was charred to death, N. Durga was badly burnt.