Two more succumb to burns, Kancheepuram cracker unit blast toll rises to 11

Chennai: The toll in Wednesday’s cracker unit blast in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu rose to 11 with two more people succumbing to burns today. Police said the duo, who ahve suffered more than 80 per cent burns, were undergoing treatment at Chengalpattu Government Hospital where they succumbed on Sunday. They were identified as Gajendran (50) and Jagadesh (35). It may be recalled that nine people were killed and 15 workers were injured in the cracker manufacturing unit explosion at Kuruvimalai village in Kancheepuram district. The deaths included six women and one of the owners of the cracker unit, Sudarsan (31). The incident took place at Narendran fireworks, a valid licence holder, where nearly 25 people, majority of them women, were working at the time of the incident. Several workers who were working in the factory sheds had sustained grievous injuries when large amount of crackers exploded following a fire. Chief Minister M.K.Stalin had announced a solatium of Rs three lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh each to those grieivously injured from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund. UNI