CHENNAI: Tragedy struck a migrant family in Chengalpattu when three children, including a girl and a toddler, were charred to death in a fire caused by a suspected LPG leak in their house late on Thursday. The children’s mother is critical with 60% burn injuries and is under treatment at the Kilpauk government hospital. The family, hailing from Bihar, had been living in Chengalpattu for the past six years. A case has been registered and an inquiry is on to ascertain the cause of the fire.
The Chengalpattu town police identified the children as Raziya Parveen (7), Saif Ali (5), and one-and-a-half-year-old Althaf. The mother Roji Koothon (24) was a homemaker while father Saddam (29) was a tea vendor at the Chengalpattu railway station. They were residing in a house on a narrow lane on Periya Manikkara Street in Chengalpattu.
On Thursday evening, Saddam prepared tea at his house kitchen and left for the railway station as per his work schedule. Roji and the children went to a nearby market and returned home. As she turned on a switch in one of the rooms, fire allegedly broke out and quickly engulfed the room.
Gas blast: There was no window in the house
A police officer said, “The family has a stove on the floor in one of the rooms in the house. The cylinder used for the stove is intact. We suspect that there was a gas leak from the stove. Since there were no windows, the gas could not go out. As soon as Roji turned on the switch, the gas got ignited,” the police officer said.
All four suffered severe burn injuries. Hearing their screams, neighbours rushed to their aid. Police and fire department personnel rushed to the spot.
After the fire was put out, they were rushed to Chengalpattu Government Hospital. Raziya and Althaf succumbed to injuries on Friday, while Saif Ali, who was under treatment at the hospital, died a few hours later. Roji was moved to Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and she is critical, the police said.