One more person who was under treatment for burn injuries from the October 29 Kalamassery explosions in Kerala passed away on Saturday, November 11. Sally Pradeepan, 45, a native of Malayattoor, had more than 60% burns from the multiple blasts that took place at a convention of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kalamassery of Kochi. Sally's death takes the death toll in the blasts to five.
Among the casualties was also Sally’s 12 year old daughter Libina, who had suffered more than 95% burns before passing away on October 30. Two more members of the family - Sally and her husband Pradeepan’s sons Praveen, aged 24, and Rahul, aged 21, are also under treatment for injuries from the blasts. Only Pradeepan from the family of five had not participated in the convention that took place at the Zamra International Convention Centre in Kalamassery.
At least 2,000 members of Jehova’s Witnesses were in the convention centre when the blasts took place. Two women who attended the meeting had died on the day of the blasts. Sixty-year-old Layona Paulose from Kuruppampady of Kochi died soon after the explosions. However, she could be identified only much later, having attended the convention by herself and with most of her relatives residing abroad. The other woman who died that Sunday, Kumari, was a 53-year-old native of Thodupuzha in Idukki. She had suffered more than 90% burns from the blasts. On November 6, a third woman, Molly Jolly of Kalamassery, succumbed to her injuries.
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