SALEM: Five persons including a couple and a firefighter were killed and 17 others injured in a building collapse triggered by a gas cylinder blast in a house on Tuesday.
Three families have been living in the houses located in the same building at Pandurangan Vittal street near Karungalpatti in Salem City.
In one, S Gopi (52) has been living with his mother Rajalakshmi (80) and aunt Ennammal.
R Murugan (46) along with his wife Usharani (40), son Karthick Ram (18), and daughter Pooja Sri (10) were living in one while in the other, S Ganesan (37), his wife Lakshmi, mother Amsaveni, sons Shyam and Sudharsan have been residing.
In the adjacent house, Padmanaban (50), who works with Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service department was residing with his wife Devi and son Lokesh.
On Tuesday morning, an LPG cylinder exploded in one of the houses (suspected to be that of Gopi's) in the building. In the impact, the whole building and the adjacent house where Padmanaban lives collapsed trapping the residents under the debris.
On hearing the explosion, the local people and Shevapet Fire and Rescue Service personnel rushed to the spot and launched the rescue operation.
In the eight-hour-long operation, 18 persons were rescued including Pooja Sri, Gopi, Rajalakshmi, Ganesan, and Sudharsan, and were admitted to Salem Government Hospital. Rajalakshmi died in the hospital and the condition of Gopi is said to be critical.
The firefighters rescued four bodies including that of Padmanaban, his wife Devi, Karthick Ram and Ennammal from the debris and sent them to Salem Government Hospital for postmortem.
The Salem District Collector S Karmegam, Salem City Municipal Corporation (SCMC) Commissioner T Christuraj, MLA R Rajendran visited the spot and oversaw the rescue operation.