Kumta Tanker tragedy: 2 more succumb to burn injuries, toll raises to 3

www.mangaloretoday.com

Manipal, Sept 2, 2015: Two more persons who were suffered burns following the gas tanker tragedy at Bargi village near Kumta died in a hospital on Wednesday, raising the death toll in the mishap to 3. Six more persons are in a critical condition and five with injuries are in a stable condition.

 

The deceased are identified as Bharath and Jayashree, succumbed to burns injury on Wednesday at Kasturba Hospital in Manipal. On Tuesday Nagaveni Jetti Patagar, 84 died of severe burns on the way to the hospital. Fourteen patients had reported to the hospital on Tuesday.

The incident that occurred near Kumta in Uttara Kannada district on Tuesday around 5.30am, a bullet tanker loaded with liquefied petroleum gas toppled on the main road. The accident occurred when the driver of the gas tanker lost control while overtaking a vehicle near Bargi. The gas from the tanker leaked and caught fire, Dr (Col) M Dayananda, medical superintendent and COO stated.

When the gas stove in one of the houses was lit, there was a huge fire which spread to houses in the area, injuring several residents critically.Around 12 houses have been badly damaged in the incident. Police have cordoned off the area and sent people to safer places. Paddy crops and trees in a radius of 300 metres of the accident spot were completely burnt.

Among the other six patients who were in a critical condition, one patient is in a very critical condition with 90% burn injuries and five others remain in the same condition. The condition of other five patients including the driver of the tanker is stable. The driver who suffered fracture injury on the right leg underwent surgical treatment on Tuesday night.