Kerala blasts: Toll rises to 3 as another succumbs to wounds
Kochi (PTI): The death toll from the blasts at a Christian religious gathering near this port city of Kerala has risen to three, according to an official statement.
A 12-year-old girl, identified as Libina from Malayattoor in Ernakulam district, succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of Monday at the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital.
In the statement issued by the hospital's medical board, the girl was admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning with severe burns covering 95 per cent of her body.
Despite receiving ventilator support, her condition continued to deteriorate, leading to her death at 12.40 am, it said.
This marks the third casualty from the blasts at the convention centre.
Two women who were part of the gathering had lost their lives on Sunday.
Over 50 individuals were injured, some seriously, during the multiple blasts at the international convention centre in Kalamassery where the followers from the minority Christian group, Jehovah's Witnesses, had gathered for the final day of a three-day-long prayer meeting.
A few hours after the incident, a man claiming to be a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, surrendered before police in Thrissur district of the state, saying that he carried out the multiple blasts.
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Car catches fire on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan, five of family burnt alive
Jaipur (PTI): Five members of a family were burnt alive while the driver was seriously injured after a car caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Alwar district, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place near Maujpur on Wednesday night when the victims were returning from a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir.
Additional Superintendent of Police Priyanka Raghuvanshi said fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control in 15 minutes, but by then the car was completely gutted.
The deceased have been identified as Santosh, his wife Shashi, mother Parvati and daughters Raghani and Sakshi, all residents of Chainpura in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Kailash Jindal said a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze. As it was a CNG vehicle, the fire spread fast, leaving the occupants with no time to escape.
"Only skeletal remains were recovered from the vehicle, which have been preserved separately. DNA tests will be conducted to establish their identity," he said.
The car driver, identified as Vinod Kumar Mehar, managed to jump out of the vehicle but sustained around 80 per cent burn injuries. He was initially taken to a nearby health centre and later referred to Jaipur for advanced treatment, officials said.
Further investigation is underway.
