The death toll arising from the explosions that rocked a Christian religious gathering in Kochi has climbed to three after the death of a teen girl while four others are in critical condition, the state Health Department said on Monday.
A 12-year-old girl, identified as Libina from Malayattoor in the Ernakulam district, tragically passed away in the early hours of Monday at Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital due to her injuries.
The hospital's medical board, in a statement, revealed that the young girl had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning with extensive burns covering 95 per cent of her body. Despite receiving ventilator support, her condition continued to deteriorate, ultimately leading to her passing at 12:40 am.
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This marks the third fatality resulting from the explosions at the convention centre. On the preceding Sunday, two women who were part of the gathering had lost their lives.
Among the four in critical condition, two are the brother and mother of the 12-year-old girl and they have suffered over 50 per cent burns, state Health Minister Veena George said on Monday.
The minister, speaking to reporters here on Monday, also said that around 60 persons sought treatment in connection with the incident and one person was brought dead after the blasts.
Presently, 12 persons are in ICU in different hospitals, including the Kalamassery Government Medical College, George said.
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During the multiple blasts that occurred at the international convention center in Kalamassery, more than 50 individuals sustained injuries, some of which were severe. The event was the final day of a three-day-long prayer meeting for followers of the minority Christian group, Jehovah's Witnesses.
Notably, a few hours after the incident, a man who claimed to be a member of Jehovah's Witnesses surrendered to the police in the Thrissur district of the state, confessing to carrying out the multiple explosions.
