Belagavi sugar factory blast: Death toll rises as eighth injured victim succumbs

Belagavi: Death toll in the boiling sugarcane juice spilling on employees incident while replacing valves at Inamdar Sugars, Markumbi in Bailhongal taluk increased to eight with the critically injured too succumbing during treatment at a private hospital here on Friday morning.

Eight employees had suffered severe injuries after spilling of boiling sugarcane juice while valves of Actuated Valve Control Packages (AVCP) were being replaced at compartment-1 of Inamdar Sugars on the fourth floor.

Condition of Raghavendra Mallappa Giriyal (36) resident of Gokak remains who had remained critical since three days, deteriorated and he succumbed on Friday morning becoming the eighth casualty in the incident.

Akshay Subhash Topade (45) resident of Jamkhandi in Bagalkot, Deepak Nagappa Munavalli (31) resident of Nesargi in Bailhongal and Sudarshan Banoshi (25) resident of Chikkamunavalli in Khanapur had succumbed to the injuries on Wednesday and were pronounced brought dead at the private hospital here. Bharatesh Basappa Sarwadi (26) resident of Godchanmalki in Gokak, Gurupadappa Beerappa Tammannavar (38) from Marguddi in Bagalkot, Manjunath Madiwalappa Kajgar (28) resident of Aravalli in Bailhongal and Manjunath Gopal Terdal (31) resident of Hulikatti in Athani succumbed during treatment on Thursday.

Murgod police are investigating.