Rajasthan cylinder blast toll reaches 19, compensation for victims' kin announced

The twin cylinder blast on Friday night led to the collapse of a double-storey building, Kumavat Bhavan, in Rajasthan's Ajmer.

Jaipur: The death toll in the cylinder blast in Rajasthan's Ajmer district reached 19 as 10 more bodies were recovered from under the rubble on Sunday.

According to PTI, all those who were missing since the blast in Beawar town on Friday night have been accounted for. 

However, the authorities said that the rescue operations will continue.

Rajasthan: Army columns helped clear debris, recovered nine bodies from a building that collapsed in Beawar on Sunday pic.twitter.com/9UkEvSU451 — ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2018

Army personnel and the national and state disaster response force teams are involved in the rescue operations, which will continue till the entire rubble is removed.

The twin cylinder blast on Friday night led to the collapse of a double-storey building, Kumavat Bhavan, which was hosting a pre-wedding function for Hemant Patlecha.

While nine bodies were recovered on Saturday, 10 more bodies including that of the bridegroom's mother, Achuki Devi, were found on Sunday.

Seriously injured patients who were earlier referred to Ajmer, have now been shifted to Jaipur. 

The 19 dead included three children - Lakshat, 1, his brother Kartavya, 2, and Khushi Devda, 2. Some of the other deceased have been identified as Nirmala Devi, Monica, Hemlata, Basant Raj and Hitesh.

Ajmer Collector Gaurav Goyal has directed officials to deal strictly with those found filling cylinders illegally.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the family members of those killed in the blast and a financial help of Rs 50,000 each to the injured, an official spokesperson said.

Raje took stock of the rescue operation, met the family members of those killed and announced the compensation from the chief minister's relief fund on Saturday. 

An additional compensation of Rs 1 lakh each was given by the Shree Cement company to the kin of the deceased, she said.

Compensation will also be provided to the owners of the houses damaged in the explosion after an assessment, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Patlecha, displaying strength and resilience, reached Jodhpur with a few relatives to exchange wedding vows with Ritu in a brief, low-key ceremony amid the prevailing sadness.

(With PTI inputs)