Thrissur (Kerala) | Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday said nine complete bodies and several body parts were recovered from the site of the blast at a fireworks manufacturing unit at Mundathicode in this district a day ago.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), in a statement, said that 26 body parts were recovered from the blast site and subject to their DNA tests for identification, the number of dead would change.
Till Tuesday night, at least 13 people were suspected to have died in the incident according to the KSDMA.
The minister said experts from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology will arrive this morning to collect samples of the body parts and the complete bodies-including those already identified and released to family members after autopsy-for DNA testing.
"Identification is difficult in this incident as many of the bodies and parts are badly burnt," she said.
George further said that 13 people are under treatment at the Thrissur Medical College for their injuries and of them 10 are in the ICU.
Of the 10, two are on ventilator, she added.
The minister said that psychological support is also being provided to those who survived the incident.
She also said that there is no clarity with regard to the exact number of people present in the unit when the blast occurred.
George said that some claims pegged the number of workers at the unit at 40, but few of them had also returned to their homes during the day.
She said that enquiries are going on and more time will be required to arrive at an exact figure of the number of people present at the unit when the blast occurred.
The minister further said that five autopsies were carried out till 2 am and three bodies were handed over to family members following autopsies.
Thrissur District Collector Shikha Surendran, in a statement, said that if anyone involved in the fireworks work at the scene was still missing, the relatives should contact the control rooms at Mundathikode Village Office -- 8547614620, Thrissur Taluk Office -- 04884232226, Thrissur Collectorate -- 9447074424 and the medical college -- 8075011853.
The District Collector also said that if any of the workers working at the factory had left before the incident, they should contact the control rooms and provide information about the deceased and missing persons.
Around 40 people were suspected to have been present in the sheds at the time of the explosion, which occurred at a fireworks unit preparing crackers on behalf of a temple devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram on April 26.
According to residents, the explosion occurred at around 3.30 pm, and intermittent blasts continued in the area, hampering rescue efforts. Firecrackers were being manufactured in multiple temporary sheds located in an isolated area amid paddy fields.