Four more die, toll touches 15

With four more persons succumbing to their burns today, the toll in Monday's LPG tanker explosion here rose to 15,police said.

One victim died at a private hospital in neighbouring Kozhikode district, another at Manipal medical college hospital in Karnataka while others at the medical college hospital here, police said. Seven more persons with severe burns were battling for life at different hospitals, they said.

Thirtyfive people were injured when the LPG tanker overturned and exploded after hitting a road divider at Chala near here on August 27. Fortyfive houses, 40 shops and 11 vehicles were gutted in the resulting fire.

Chief minister Oommen Chandy and some of his ministerial colleagues had yesterday visited the injured and the houses of those who died.

Chandy had announced free medical treatment to those injured. Leader of Opposition V S Achuthanandan and CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, accompanied by CPI(M) Politbureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and other LDF leaders visited the accident spot, houses of those who died and the injured at various hospitals.

Achuthanandan demanded that murder cases should be filed against IOC, while Vijayan demanded that State and Central governments and also IOC should pay compensation to the victims.