Rs 10L ex gratia sought for tanker accident victims

 Industries minister R V Deshpande has sought Rs 10 lakh compensation from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for the victims of LPG tanker explosion in Kumta, in Uttar Kannada district, on September 1.

In a letter dated September 3, addressed to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Varadarajan, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Mumbai, Desphande has sought an interim relief amount of Rs two lakh to the families of the deceased.

Of the 15 persons injured, five have succumbed to their injuries.
The rest have sustained more than 90 per cent injuries, and are in a critical condition. They are in no position to earn their livelihood even if they were to survive the accident, he has said.

He has also sought compensation for losses of movable and immovable property at market rates.

One more injured dies

Meanwhile, one more person injured in the accident died at KMC Hospital in Manipal on Friday. With this, the toll in the mishap went to six, five of them from a family.

The deceased is Dheeraj, 18, from Bargi in Kumta. He is the son of Srikanth Bargi (57) and Jayashri (54) who succumbed to the burn injuries on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. With this, the death toll in the family has risen to five.

Doctors at Kasturba Hospital said that condition of three others was critical. As many as 14 persons with burn injuries were brought to the hospital on September 1.Another patient  who was treated at Kumta government hospital is admitted to the Kasturba hospital for treatment. He has suffered minor burn injuries.