The death toll in the LPG tanker blast at Chala in Kannur rose to 19 with three more victims succumbing to burns on Sunday.
One of the three was 12-year-old Rizwan. All three other members of his family injured in the mishap have died in the past week. They were his father Abdul Razak, mother Ramlat and elder brother Rameez.
The death toll is likely to go up as the condition of four persons admitted in various hospitals remained critical. Besides Rizwan, the other dead on Sunday were Latha, 50, and Rejina, 26.
Four members of another family – of Krishnan at Devi Nivas in Chala – were among the dead.
Krishnan, his wife Devi, son Prasad and daughter-in-law Regina were the four. Pramod, another son of Krishnan, is in hospital in a serious condition.
The central government will consider ordering a probe into the LPG tanker blast, to also ascertain whether there was any security lapse, Union minister of state for power K.C. Venugopal told reporters on Sunday after visiting the accident spot.
The minister said he would take up the matter with the prime minister, and see as to what extent the victims or their families could be helped.
KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala also visited the family members of the victims.
In a letter to the state government, KPCC president said the government should construct new houses for all those who lost their houses in the blast.
DGP K.S. Balasubramanian who visited Kannur on Sunday said the probe into the tanker blast case was progressing.