THIRUVANNAMALAI: Three persons including an eight-year-old boy were killed while four suffered grievous injuries in a blast triggered by LPG leakage and resultant collapse of houses at Pudukambur Road, Arni in Tiruvannamalai district on Sunday, sources said.
The deceased were identified as J Kamakshi, 35, her son J Hemnath, 8, and S Chandrammal, 60, the sources stated, adding that the mother and son were crushed to death in the house collapse while Chandrammal, a neighbour, was killed as she was trapped under the compound wall which caved in after the explosion.
T Muktha Bai, 55, her daughter, Meena, 15, Kamakshi’s husband M Janakiraman, 40, their son J Suresh, 15, suffered grievous injuries and were undergoing treatment at the Govt Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH) at Adukkamparai.
The sources informed that the blast was triggered when one of the occupants of the house tried to light the stove in the morning to prepare tea.
As the gas, already leaked and accumulated, caused the explosion and subsequently, the house collapsed trapping the two families and a neighbour.
“The LPG cylinder might already have been leaking leading to accumulation of gas in the kitchen. When they tried to light the stove, it triggered the blast and the resultant house collapse,” a police officer said.
The police team led by Arni DSP N Kotteeswaran and Inspector D Subramai and the personnel of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) rushed to the spot.
They rescued the injured persons from the debris and sent them to hospital. The bodies were also retrieved.
Muktha Bai was staying with her daughter Meena in one portion of the house while the other portion was rented out to Janakiraman, a hairdresser.
“Two cylinders, intact, were retrieved from the debris and another one was found damaged in the blast,” said G Sathiyarayanan, deputy director of TNFRS.
Tamil Nadu HR&CE Minister Sevoor S Ramachandran and District collector KS Kandasamy, who were on an official function near Tiruvannamalai, rushed to the spot along with SP S Aravind. They inquired about the incident and the condition of the injured persons.