Bodies of fatal gas cylinder blast victims repatriated to India
Parts of the gas cylinders and body parts of the two workers were blown about 200 feet away.
The bodies of two people who died in a gas cylinder explosion in HDh. Makunudhoo on Saturday afternoon have been sent to their native India.
The bodies of the two men were brought to capital Male the following day and sent to India on Tuesday for handover to their families, police said in a message to the media on Wednesday.
However, police did not give further details.
According to Makunudhoo council and eyewitness accounts:
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Two gas cylinders -- one used for industrial welding and the other a cooking gas -- exploded outside a warehouse not far from the island's harbour, which was used to store items brought to the island for the ongoing sewerage network project
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The deceased include two people outside the warehouse; the two were employees of the company contracted to reclaim land for the development of an airport in the island
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Parts of the gas cylinders and body parts of the two workers were blown about 200 feet away; In addition to the arms and legs, the head was also separated from the body
The blast damaged nearby motorcycles and shattered the windows of some boats anchored in the island's harbour, according to eyewitnesses.
This is the second gas cylinder explosion in less than a week. On Thursday, a fire extinguisher exploded at HDh. Kulhudhuffushi airport, seriously injuring a Maldivian man who has since been airlifted to capital Male for further treatment.
