MADURAI: Two firemen were crushed to death while trying to put out a fire raging at a textile shop in South Gate police station limit in Madurai in the wee hours of Saturday.
Sources said the deceased persons were P Krishnamoorthy (31) of Poonganagar in Thirupuvanam, Sivaganga and K Sivarajan (33) of West Velli Street in Madurai.
Krishnamoorthy was attached with the Meenakshi Amman Temple Fire and Rescue Service Station and Sivarajan was with the Town (Periyar) Fire and Rescue Service Station.
The incident happened at a textile shop (Sanjay textiles) in Navabathkana Street, owned by J Babulal of Navabathkana Cross Street, when it caught fire at around 2.30am on Saturday.
The fire and rescue service personnel rushed to the spot with fire tenders.
As the age-old two-storey building sits tightly packed amid other shops and houses, fire personnel entered the shop in a bid to control the spread.
A team of four fire personnel -- Krishanamoorthy, Sivarajan, R Kalyanakumar (37) and M Chinnakaruppu (30) had gone inside.
While Kalyanakumar and Chinnakaruppu stood at the entrance of the shop, Krishnamoorthy and Sivarajan went further inside the shop to put out the fire.
The first floor of the building suddenly collapsed and fell over Krishnamoorthy and Sivarajan.
The District Officer K Kalyana Kumar told The New Indian Express that the firemen could not ascertain the stability of the roof of the building at night.
As they engaged in the fire fighting operation, the roof fell over Krishnamoorthy and Sivarajan.
The fire and rescue service personnel took time to rescue the firemen from the spot. Though one of the two firemen Siarajan died on the spot and the other was brought dead to the Government Rajaji Hospital.
The two other firemen Kalyanakumar and Chinnakaruppu sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Krishnamoorthy has been in the fire service since 2011, and was unmarried.
Whereas Sivarajan joined in 2009 and was settled with a family which included two children.
Both the firemen's bodies were laid to rest with state honours including a 21-gun salute.
South Gate police registered a case under 174 CrPC based on a complaint from Station Officer of Town FRS Venkatesan.
DGP pays homage
The DGP, Director of TNFRS M S Jaffer Sait paid homage to the martyrs at the mortuary in GRH on Saturday.
Addressing media persons, Jaffer Sait said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has announced Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased firemen and Rs 3 lakh for the injured firemen.
The CM also announced government jobs to the family members of martyrs.
"The department will take the list of the fire safety-less buildings and direct the owners to improvise the safety. In case of the need, the department would take necessary action against such fire safety-less buildings," he said.
Madurai City Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha, Deputy Director of Southern Region of TNFRS P Saravanakumar, Madurai Collector T Anbalagan, Madurai District Officer K Kalyana Kumar, GRH Dean J Sangumani were also presented during his visit.