Visakhapatnam: The death toll in the massive fire at state-run Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) refinery-cum-petrochemical complex here has risen to nine with one more worker succumbing to burn injuries on Monday, a PSU official said.
50-year-old S Sanyasi Rao who was undergoing treatment at the Old Care hospital here died today, the official said.
At present, 34 injured workers are being treated in various corporate hospitals across the city. While four injured have been airlifted to a Mumbai hospital, the official said.
Around half a dozen of them have received more than 70 per cent burns and are said to be in critical condition.
On August 23, the blaze started in the sprawling complex at around 4 pm, killing two workers and injuring several others. A day later, the death toll climbed to eight, including seven workers of private companies and a HPCL employee.
As per preliminary reports, the fire broke out due to blasting of cooling tower due to a short-circuit.
The extent of damage to the refinery-cum-petrochemical complex was still being ascertained.
Union Minister Veerappa Moily, who had visited the site on Saturday, had announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to family members of the deceased PSU employee Ch Murali and said the contract companies concerned will pay compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family members of each deceased workers.
PTI
