The death count from the series of blasts at a convention centre in Kerala’s Kalamassery increased to three on Monday.

A 12-year-old girl, who was among over 50 people injured in the blast at a Christian religious gathering on Sunday, died at the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital.

Libina from Kerala’s Ernakulam district was admitted to the hospital with severe burns covering 95 per cent of her body and was put on ventilator support.

Earlier, two women died and over 50 people were injured in multiple blasts at a Christian religious gathering in a convention centre in Kalamassery in the Ernakulam district. 

The blasts took place when hundreds of followers of the minority Christian group Jehovah’s Witnesses had assembled on the concluding day of a three-day-long prayer meeting.

Hours after the blasts, which sent shockwaves across the country and put Delhi and Mumbai on high alert, a man claiming to be a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, surrendered before police in Kerala’s Thrissur district.

IED used in Kerala blasts

The Kerala Police said that the Improvised Explosive Device was used in the blasts. The explosives were kept in a tiffin box, said sources.

According to officials, there were around 2,000 people at the convention centre when the blasts took place. Sunday was the last day of the three-day meeting, which started on October 27.

The blasts will now be probed by the National Investigation Agency, which specialises in counter-terrorism operations. The agency’s forensic team reached the spot on Sunday and collected evidence.

Police have registered an FIR against unknown persons under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC as well as provisions of the Explosives Act and the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Nine people were killed and 40 injured on Sunday when two trains collided in Andhra Pradesh, said police, months after the horrific three-train collision in Odisha that killed over 280.

“Till now 40 people have been injured. 32 have been shifted to Vizianagaram Government Hospital. 1 in Vishaka NRI Hospital, 2 in Medicover Hospital. 4 are in critical condition. All the injured are from Andhra Pradesh”, Vizianagaram District administration said.

A special passenger train going from Visakhapatnam to Palasa had stopped on tracks between Alamanda and Kantakapalle near Kothsavatsala because of no signal when the Vizag-Raigad passenger train rammed it, derailing three coaches. 

Railways sources said the tragedy was a result of human error, adding that signalling was not noticed by loco pilot.

Here are the live updates on Andhra Pradesh Train Accident:

Nine people were killed and 40 injured on Sunday when two trains collided in Andhra Pradesh, said police, months after the horrific three-train collision in Odisha that killed over 280.

“As per the data, 9 casualties are there and 29 people have been injured,” Biswajit Sahu, CPRO, East Coast Railway had earlier told news agency ANI.

The district administration has updated the injury figures to 40.

A special passenger train going from Visakhapatnam to Palasa had stopped on tracks between Alamanda and Kantakapalle near Kothsavatsala because of no signal when the Vizag-Raigad passenger train rammed it, derailing three coaches. 

Pictures from the site showed the derailed coaches and people crowding around. 

Railways sources said the tragedy was a result of human error, adding that signalling was not noticed by loco pilot.

War room in Delhi railway ministry is monitoring the situation, the Railways source added.

The East Coast Railway has released helpline numbers. 

Helpline Number regarding Train Accident between Alamanda and Kantakapalle in Vizianagaram-Kottavalasa Rly secn of Waltair Divn of ECoR in Howrah-Chennai Main Line.

Bhubaneswar –
0674-2301625, 2301525, 2303069

Waltair – 0891-
2885914@RailMinIndia

— East Coast Railway (@EastCoastRail) October 29, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and reviewed the situation.

PM @narendramodi spoke to Railway Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation in the wake of the unfortunate train derailment between Alamanda and Kantakapalle section.

Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected. The Prime Minister…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 29, 2023

Andhra Chief Minister Jagan Reddy has condoled the loss of lives in the accident. 

“The CM expressed deep shock over the Kantakapalli train accident incident in Vizianagaram district. He ordered the officials to take quick relief measures and ensure that the injured get prompt medical services,” the Chief Minister’s office posted on social media. 

“The Chief Minister advised to send as many ambulances as possible from the nearby districts of Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli and make all kinds of arrangements to provide medical treatment in the nearby hospitals. The details regarding the incident should be reported to him from time to time,” it added. 

Union Railway Minister Aswini Vaishnaw telephoned the Chief Minister over the accident.

All injured shifted to hospitals.
Ex-gratia compensation disbursement started – ₹10 Lakh in case of death,
₹2.5 Lakh towards grievous and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) October 29, 2023

The Chief Minister informed him that rescue teams have been sent to the accident site and Education Minister B Satyanarayana, District Collector and the SP are supervising the relief and rescue operations.

He further told the Union Minister that all arrangements were made in the nearby hospitals to treat the injured.