The toll in the gas tanker lorry tragedy at Chala here on Monday night has risen to seven with two more persons succumbing to their injuries at the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital on Thursday. The dead are Kottaram Meethal Ramlath, 50, and her husband Abdul Razak, 60.
Twelve others are battling for their lives at the hospital. Two persons, Sreenilayathil Sreelatha, 48, and Nheroliyil Abdul Azeez, 55, who sustained burns, died on Tuesday. Three others, Vazhayil Geetha, 34, her sister Rema, 50, and Nirmala, 54, succumbed to burn injuries on Wednesday. Geetha was unmarried. The relatives of almost all the deceased are also fighting for their lives. Omana, mother of Rema, is undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. R P Lakshmanan, husband of Nirmala, and their children, Nijil, Sajil and Smyl too suffered injuries.
Meanwhile, road dividers in Chala, which caused the mishap, were demolished following the orders of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Chandy, who rushed to the spot along with his Cabinet colleagues, had announced a compensation of `10 lakh each to the families of those killed and a package of assistance to all those who injured.