CHENNAI: A father-son duo who rushed to help after noticing a fire in their neighbouring house in Periya Natham in Chengalpet sustained critical injuries following a cylinder blast. The injured have been identified as Shanmugam (70) and his son Karthikeyan (40).
The Chengalpattu police said the fire broke out around 4 am on Thursday at the house of Jayakumar (60) on Middle Street due to electrical short circuit. Hearing the commotion, the father-son duo rushed to the house where the fire had spread to the motor room, where the gas cylinder exploded.
The injured were initially taken to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital. While three to four persons with minor injuries were treated as outpatients and discharged, Shanmugam, who sustained around 55% burns, and Karthikeyan, who suffered 60-70% burns, were later shifted to Apollo Hospital, Vanagaram, for advanced treatment.
A case has been registered and the police said both are conscious, able to speak. The judicial magistrate, Poonamallee, has recorded their dying declarations as part of the legal procedure.