CHENNAI: Seven people sustained burn injuries after LPG cylinders exploded while attempts were being made to douse a fire that broke out at a house in Thathanur near Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district in the early hours of Tuesday, sources said.
Police said Murugan, who lives with his wife Nandhini and their two daughters, had recently constructed an additional portion on the first floor of his house. Electrical connection work was underway in the newly built section when a fire reportedly broke out and rapidly spread to the ground floor.
The family escaped safely and alerted the Oragadam police and the Sriperumbudur Fire and Rescue Services.
Before firefighters reached the spot, the blaze engulfed the house, destroying household articles and a two-wheeler. Neighbours who rushed to help attempted to douse the flames. However, LPG cylinders inside the house exploded during the efforts, injuring seven people.
The injured were identified as Purushothaman, Simon, Vignesh, Sarath, Selvaraj, Thilagar and Chiranjeevi. Firefighters later brought the blaze under control.
Two of the injured were admitted to Sriperumbudur Government Hospital, while the others were shifted to private hospitals for treatment. Sources said most of the injured sustained around 25 per cent burns.
Forensic experts visited the spot and collected evidence to ascertain the cause of the fire and the subsequent cylinder explosions. Oragadam police have launched an investigation into the incident.