Chennai: Four members of a family suffered grievous burn injuries after a fire accident triggered by a LPG blast in their house in Muthamizh Nagar,
Kodungaiyur during the early hours of Sunday. All four of them are undergoing treatment at the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where they are in a critical condition.
Police identified the injured as Venkata Prakash (55), a technician with ICF, his wife Geetha (45), a housewife and their children Sharmila (25) and Kishore (22).
The family is living in a portion on the ground floor while the first floor was let out on rent. Around 5 am on Sunday, tenants on the first floor were woken up by a loud thud. When they came out, they noticed the front door and concrete walls broken and appliances from the house thrown outside, police said.
Police, fire and rescue teams rushed to the scene on information. Rescue personnel cleared the debris and secured the unconscious persons and moved them to a hospital. Police said that houses in the locality are cramped and lacked proper ventilation.
Preliminary investigations have suggested that a leak from the LPG tube to have spread the gas through the entire house. “A family member must have lit a fire or switched on the light which must have triggered the blast,” a police officer said.
Forensic experts have collected samples to ascertain the cause of the accident. Hospital authorities said that except for Venkata Prakash who sustained 48 per cent burns, other members of the family have suffered over 70 per cent burns and are in a critical condition.
