Toll in Vizag refinery blast climbs to 23

The toll in Aug 23 blast at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) refinery in Visakhapatnam rose to 23 with four more injured succumbing to burns at various hospitals Sunday.

While three injured died in Visakhapatnam, one succumbed at a hospital in Mumbai, HPCL sources said.

The four who died Sunday have been identified as K. Tata Rao (60), Sambhu Manna (55), M.V. Ramana (45), and Subhash Majhi.

Thirteen injured are still undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the coastal city in Andhra. HPCL had airlifted eight injured to Mumbai.

Eight people were killed and 34 injured in the fire caused by the huge blast in the cooling tower which was under construction in the refinery's diesel hydro sulphurisation expansion project Aug 23. Fifteen injured succumbed to burns at different private hospitals

Preliminary inquiry revealed that leak of gas from a pipeline to the cooling tower led to the blast and fire.

While only one employee of HPCL was killed in the accidents, the other were all contract workers. The HPCL has announced a compensation of Rs.1 crore to family of its employee and Rs.20 lakh each to the dependents of other deceased.