The death toll in last week’s explosion at a firecracker unit at Kurungudi, near Kattumannarkovil rose to eight, with the death of N. Anitha, 21 at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry on Wednesday.
Sources said that Ms. Anitha, who had suffered 70 % burns, succumbed at around 1.15 a.m. on Wednesday.
The massive explosion at the firecracker unit had claimed the lives of seven women -- C. Gandhimathi, P. Malarkodi, N. Latha, M. Raasathi, U. Chitra, R. Rukmani and R. Rathinammal and left two seriously injured on Friday last.
Police said the accident took place at around 11 a.m. when nine women were working. A fire broke out and the country-made crackers stocked on the premises exploded. Preliminary investigations revealed that the unit’s license had expired and it was not renewed. The unit had started operations on September 4 and had brought the explosives without authorisation.
The cause of the explosion is not yet known and the administration has constituted a committee to probe into the accident.
