One more person who had suffered burns following the gas tanker tragedy at Chala here died in a private hospital in Kozhikode on Tuesday, raising the death toll in the mishap to 20.
The deceased has been identified as Pramod, 42, of Devi Nivas, Chala. He had suffered severe burn injuries in the mishap following the leakage of liquefied petroleum gas from the tanker lorry at Chala on August 27 and had been shifted to MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode a few days ago from the Pariyaram Medical College. His father K.K. Krishnan (75), mother Devi (59), younger brother Prasad (33), sister-in-law Rageena (26), his uncle K.K. Lakshmanan (68), and uncle’s wife Nirmala (55) had died of burns they had suffered after the explosion of the tanker.
The only surviving member of ‘Devi Nivas’ is Prakashan, younger brother of Pramod. Prakashan had been not at home when the accident occurred.
Meanwhile, a team of Forensic experts led by M.K. Ajith Kumar, Assistant Director of the Explosive Division, Forensic Science Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, visited the accident spot on Tuesday to collect samples from the spot.
In another development, the District and Sessions Court at Thalassery posted the anticipatory bail plea of Durairaj, the owner of the tanker lorry that had exploded, for September 15.
