Puri firecracker explosion: Toll mounts to eight, 22 others undergoing treatment

Bhubaneswar: The death toll in the explosion of a stockpile of firecrackers in Odisha's Puri mounted to eight on Saturday after two more persons undergoing treatment succumbed to their injuries, a senior official said.

At least 30 people were injured in the explosion that happened during Lord Jagannath's Chandan Jatra on Wednesday night.

Among them, eight persons have died so far and 22 others are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the official of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office said.

"Two more people succumbed to their injuries in hospitals, while 22 others are undergoing treatment," he said, adding a few more people are in a critical condition.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered an inquiry into the incident, and announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.

The Puri collector has already taken steps for the payment of Rs 4 lakh each towards ex-gratia assistance to the next of kin of the deceased, the official said.

Additional chief secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Satyabrata Sahu, who is also the SRC, has started a probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, Puri Police said it has registered a suo motu criminal case and an investigation is underway.