Scrap shop blast toll rises to eight

The toll in the blast at a scrap shop here increased to eight with the death of a woman, a senior police official said.

The toll in the blast at a scrap shop here increased to eight with the death of a woman, a senior police official said.

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"Farida, the wife of Mustaqeem, succumbed to her injuries, taking the number of deaths in the explosion to eight," Senior Superintendent of Police B D Paulson said.

She had been referred to the S N Medical College Agra for treatment after suffering serious injuries in the blast.

The blast took place yesterday in the scrap shop in Nai Basti area of the city when the victims were extricating metal from an army shell.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Karamveer Singh said an examination of two more shells recovered from the spot indicated that they had been used by the army earlier.

"The shell is very old and has the design of shells manufactured in 1964. It would have been used till 1980-84," he said.

The state government has announced financial assistance of Rs one lakh to kin of the people killed in the blast and Rs 50,000 to the injured.