The toll from the Kurangani forest fire in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district has risen to 19, The News Minute reported on Friday. Sai Vasumathi, 26, who had suffered 56% burns in the March 11 blaze, died in Grace Kennett Hospital in Madurai early on Friday.
On Thursday, Jayasree, 32, succumbed to her injuries at a Coimbatore hospital. She had been on ventilator support from March 16.
The hospital issued a statement after Jayasree’s death. “We undertook resuscitation efforts with intravenous fluids and wound care,” the statement read. She had full involvement of face, neck, both hands, chest, back, both thighs and right leg. She also had burn injury to the lungs due to inhalation of hot fumes.”
Anu Vidhya, a trekker from Chennai, also died on Thursday after sustaining 80% burn injuries, The News Minute said.
Between 35 to 40 trekkers were trapped in the blaze on March 11. Soon after, the Tamil Nadu government had said the trekkers did not have the required permissions to be in the hills that evening.
The police registered a first information report on March 15 against Peter Van Geit, the owner of the Chennai Trekking Club,that is believed to have organised the trek in the Kurangani Hills. The police have charged Geit with culpable homicide.
On March 13, they had arrested Ranjith, a man believed to be the tour guide.
The Tamil Nadu government announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the victims’ families, and Rs 1 lakh to the seriously injured. At least five people with over 40% burn injuries are still under treatment in various private hospitals in the state, the Mumbai Mirror reported.
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