PALAKKAD: A parked car exploded in Athicode, under Polpully grama panchayat near Chittur, on Friday evening, leaving a woman and her three children injured. The mother and two of the children reportedly suffered severe burn injuries in the accident and were shifted to a private hospital in Ernakulam.
The victims have been identified as Elsy Martin, 40, wife of the late Martin from Poolakkad, and her children Aleena, 10, Alfin, 6, and Amy, 4. According to hospital sources and local residents, Elsy and her two younger children suffered serious burn injuries. Aleena, the eldest child, is being treated at a private hospital where Elsy works as a nurse. The explosion occurred around 5.15 pm when Elsy had just returned from work and was preparing to take her children to a nearby shop.
“She turned the ignition key and the car suddenly exploded, engulfing the vehicle in flames within minutes,” Balagangadharan P, president of Polpully grama panchayat, told TNIE. All four occupants managed to escape from the car, but Elsy, Alfin, and Amy sustained severe burns, said local resident Gilson. Aleena, who exited the vehicle – a Maruthi Suzuki 800 – as soon as it caught fire, suffered only minor injuries. Elsy’s mother, who was also about to enter the vehicle, narrowly escaped the blast.
Residents, alerted by the explosion, rushed to the scene and promptly took the victims to the hospital. Preliminary investigations suggested that a short circuit might have triggered the explosion of the car.