Death Count Rises to 5 in Kerala Prayer Meet Blasts: Sally Pradeepan Identified as Victim

The explosions occurred at a religious gathering of a Christian sect.

Kochi:

The death toll resulting from the detonations that rocked a Christian religious gathering near Kochi, Kerala, two weeks ago has now reached five, according to a statement by the Kerala government on Sunday.

The most recent victim, identified as 45-year-old Sally Pradeepan from Malayattoor in Ernakulam district, passed away on Saturday night at a private hospital, as stated in a government health bulletin.

Sally Pradeepan had been on ventilator support prior to her demise.

Currently, 17 individuals who sustained injuries during the blasts are receiving treatment in various hospitals in Kochi, according to a medical board formed to cater to the wounded victims.

Among them, eight are in the intensive care unit (ICU), with one in critical condition, while the remaining nine are in standard hospital wards, stated the bulletin.

The explosions occurred during a religious gathering of a Christian sect known as Jehovah’s Witnesses on October 29.

Prior to Sally Pradeepan’s passing, a 12-year-old girl named Libina from Malayattoor succumbed to her injuries on October 30 at the Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital. Furthermore, two women who were part of the gathering lost their lives on the day of the explosions.

Subsequently, 61-year-old Moly Joy from Kalamassery also passed away at a private hospital on November 6.

Over 50 individuals were injured, some severely, during the multiple blasts that occurred at an international convention center in Kalamassery, near the port city of Kochi.

The gathering was the concluding day of a three-day-long prayer meeting organized by the Jehovah’s Witnesses community.

A few hours after the incident, a man named Dominic Martin, who claimed to be an estranged member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, surrendered to the police in Thrissur district, confessing to carrying out the multiple bombings.

Subsequently, the police officially arrested him.

Aside from being charged under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) have also been invoked against Martin.

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