Vinay Kumar
TRICHY: At least seven people were injuried after an LPG cylinder exploded during a fire near Thiruvonam in Thanjavur district in the early hours of Thursday.The injured identified as Murugaiyan’s wife, Selvi, 45, and daughter, Abi, 18; Veeraiyan’s wife, Kalaiyarasi, 38, and his sons, Kasivel, 45, and Vempaiyan, 45. The other victims are S. Rajasekhar, 45, and A. Palaniappan, 40. The incident took place at the partially thatched house of a resident, C. Murugaiyan, in Chinna Ammankudi village near Thiruvonam at around 2.30 a.m. Preliminary reports indicate that heat from an electric bulb is believed to have started the fire in the thatched roof while the family was asleep. The family woke up to flames above them and raised the alarm. Neighbours rushed to put out the fire. However, the LPG cylinder exploded violently, engulfing several people in flames. Fellow villagers rescued those with severe burns and took them to Thanjavur Government Medical College Hospital. The fire and rescue services station at Karambakudi in Pudukkottai district, located 15 km away, was alerted at about 2.38 am. A six-member fire brigade reached the scene at around 2.50 am. By the time the firefighters arrived, the house had already been reduced to ruins. The team extinguished the remaining flames and cooled the site and surrounding areas. District Collector R. Revathi and Superintendent of Police E. Sundaravathanam, along with senior officials, visited the injured at the hospital, enquired about their condition, and spoke with them. Many of the injured sustained burns covering more than 60% of their bodies. Thiruvonam police have registered a case and are investigating the exact cause of the fire. Sources said Murugaiyan’s family had noticed a leak in their LPG cylinder over the past two days and had raised the issue with the gas agency, but their concerns went unaddressed. On Wednesday, the family fitted an electric bulb in the thatched section of the house. “The probable cause of the fire was the heat from the electric bulb combined with the gas leak. The exact cause is under investigation,” SP E. Sundaravathanam told TOI.
