Toll mounts to nine in chimney blast incident

East Champaran’s DM Shrisat Kapil Ashok on Sunday said that the toll has risen to nine with the death of one more person, identified as Nurul Haq, succumbing to his injuries during the treatment at AIIMS, Patna.

BETTIAH: With the death of one more labourer, the toll in Friday’s chimney blast incident at a brick kiln at Nariragir village in East Champaran has climbed to nine, four of them from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Sunday.

Debris at the brick kiln site on Saturday. (ANI)

The deceased labourers from Uttar Pradesh have been identified as Subhash Chandra (28), Budhai (40), Deepak Rai (45), and Anil Kumar (50), all residents of Pratapgarh district in the state. Officials also identified the other deceased as Irsar Ahmad (35), Sajjid Alam, Irsar Alam (25), Anil Baitha (30), and Md. Nurul Haq (60), all residents of Ramgarwha block of East Champaran.

East Champaran’s district magistrate (DM) Shrisat Kapil Ashok on Sunday said that the toll has risen to nine with the death of one more person, identified as Nurul Haq, succumbing to his injuries during the treatment at AIIMS, Patna.

“All necessary medical treatment is being provided. Two injured persons are undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Patna,” the DM said, putting the injured tally at seven.

When contacted, SRP hospital’s superintendent, Sujit Kumar, said, “Of the five injured, one has been discharged, while the condition of remaining patients is said to be stable.”

The DM also said that the district administration has requisitioned experts to dismantle the brick kiln.

Another government official said that some parts of the brick kiln were hanging precariously and threatened to collapse. “It could not be dismantled with the available resources at the local level. However, cranes have been requisitioned from Muzaffarpur,” said the official refusing to be identified.

Meanwhile, confusion reigned over the payment of compensation to the dependents of victims from the neighbouring state by the Bihar labour resource department. “We have handed the cheques of ₹1 lakh each to the two families of victims. However, kins of those from Uttar Pradesh may not get the ex-gratia as there is no provision in the rule,” said Satya Prakash, labour superintendent, East Champaran, referring to the compensation from labour department.

However, other officials aware of the matter said the families of victims, who are not the domicile of Bihar, would get compensation of ₹4 lakh from CM’s relief fund.

Other sources in labour department said one of the victim’s dependent may forfeit the compensation as the deceased is a minor as per the age mentioned on his Aadhaar card.