Another victim of the multiple blasts that occurred on October 29 at Zamra convention centre in Kalamassery in Kerala’s Ernakulam district passed away on Thursday, December 7, taking the death toll in the blast to eight. Seventy-six-year-old Lilly John, a native of Vandamattam in Idukki, was undergoing treatment at Aster Medcity Hospital in Ernakulam after she was injured in the explosion.
According to the Aster Medicity Public Relations Officer (PRO), Lilly passed away just after 3 pm due to cardiac arrest. Lilly’s husband, KA John, a retired revenue department official and a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation for the past 35 years, had died on December 2.
The multiple blasts occurred on the third and final day of a Jehovah’s Witnesses convention. The same day, Dominic Martin, a former member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, came forward to take responsibility for the blasts, stating that he had been unhappy with the teachings of the sect. He has been arrested and charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act and Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which prescribe the punishment for murder.
The first victim of the blast was 60-year-old Layona Paulose from Kuruppampady in Ernakulam, who had died immediately due to severe burn injuries. The same day, 53-year-old Kumari from Idukki’s Thodupuzha also succumbed to her injuries. The next day, 12-year-old Libna from Malayattoor in Ernakulam, who was undergoing treatment, died with 95% burns. On November 11, Libna’s mother Saly Pradeepan, aged 45, died after remaining critical for days. Libna’s brother Praveen, aged 24, died on November 17. Libna’s other brother Rahul is also critically injured and undergoing treatment.
Around 2,000 members of Jehovah’s Witnesses were attending the convention when the blasts occurred, in which more than 50 were injured.
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